The Flamel's and the Stone
by magical fan18
Summary: I ADOPTED THIS FIC FROM ANOTHER Author and hope you like it. Harry finds a family in an Alchemist and a kind witch as they both discover the future of how their lives may be told with some others along the way.BOOK READING WITH A LITTLE BIT OF STORY TELLING.
1. Chapter 1

Flamel's and the Stone - Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything apart from adopting this story as I have never done so before until now. Also the text in non-bold is Harry's reactions and thoughts as he is the only character who is the reader of the book at the moment and italic are his thoughts at the moment but that may change as the story moves along and the first chapter has been edited for those who do not know.

P.S: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE READ THE STUFF BELOW!

Another one, people! SOPA's back again and we need 100,000 signatures by March 19th, less than 7 days away.

.gov/ petition/ stop-sopa-2014/ q0Vkk0Zr

Just take out the spaces.

I'm copying and pasting this from SilverReplay's story and alert, so yeah.

VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE

SOPA IS BACK

If the act is passed, all sites such as fanfiction, deviantart and tumblr will be taken down, and people who make fanart or fanfics for ANYTHING could get into serious trouble. The worst part is, America seem to think they can control the world... Not only will this ridiculous act affect them, it will affect us ALL. Noone will have any freedom.

And the worst part?

The petition needs 100,000 votes before 19th March. So far it has just over 14,000.

They're trying to pass it quietly this time. 2014 looks like it could be the year that we lose this war against SOPA. We can't let that happen! Sign the petition, and if you're too young, at least pass on this message everywhere you can! There's a hell of a lot more than 100,000 of us out there, but we all need to pitch in, or it's over! We only have a week to get more than 85,697 signatures! DON'T IGNORE THIS MESSAGE. FIGHT FOR OUR FREEDOM.

Hope you can sign the petition.

* * *

><p><span>Number 4 Privet Drive - Downstairs Cupboard<span>

Harry Potter was climbing into his cot/bed in his cupboard, when all of a sudden a book appeared as Harry stifles his gasp at what he has just seen. He picked up the book as he was curious about it and noticed the title.

**Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone**

_"__What is a Philosopher's Stone?"_ Harry questioned to himself as he also wondered why his name was on it as he opened the book to see the first chapter which was titled:

**'The Boy Who Lived'**

_"__What an odd title for a boy."_ Harry mused as he began reading about it

**Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were, proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.**

**Mr Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills. He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large moustache. Mrs Dursley was thin and blond and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbours. The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere.**

**The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters.**

"_It's too late now."_ Harry thought as he knew that he lived here with them.

**Mrs Potter was Mrs Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for several years; in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister,** **Because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as un-Dursleyish as it was possible to be.**

_"They are better than your sister,"_ Harry thought annoyed at his aunt's personality towards his mother as he also thinks snorting _"That's not even a proper word, Un-Dursleyish."_

**The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbours would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never even seen him. This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.**

_"A child like what?"_ Harry wondered in thought and annoyance.

**When Mr and Mrs Dursley woke up on the dull, gray Saturday our story starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country.**

_"What strange and mysterious things?"_ Harry questioned himself.

**Mr Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work and Mrs Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair.**

_"He was a brat even then"_ Harry grimaced at how his cousin was acting the same as always.

**None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window.**

_"Why is there an owl?"_ wondered Harry, in thought at the oddity of owls.

**At half past eight, Mr Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls.**

**"****Little tyke," chortled Mr Dursley as he left the house.**

_"Well I guess he was little at one time,"_ Harry thought to himself amused at how large and pudgy his cousin was.

**He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive.** **It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar — a cat reading a map.**

_"He's probably thinking that he's lost his mind,"_ Harry guessed in thought at how his uncle would react to this strange occurrence.

**For a second, Mr Dursley didn't realize what he had seen — then he jerked his head around to look again There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of?**

_"__He wasn't,_" Harry thought amused at how stupid and ignorant his uncle could be.

**It must have been a trick of the light Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back.**

_"That's odd cat behaviour"_, Harry thought.

**As Mr Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said _Privet_ _Drive_ —**

_"Cats can't read,"_ Harry thinks to himself confused at this and the other odd things happening so far in the book.

**No, _looking_ at the sign; cats couldn't read maps _or_ signs, Mr Dursley thought.** **Mr Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day.**

_"__One track mind he is,"_ Harry thought amused as he shook his head and continued reading.

**But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about, people in cloaks.**

_"That is strange"_ Harry thought at the fact that cloaks were an unusual garment to wear on a normal day besides Halloween or an occasional medieval fair.

**Mr Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes — the getups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdoes standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together.**

_"I wonder what they were whispering about?"_ thought Harry, curious about it all.

**Mr Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak! The nerve of him! But then it struck Mr Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt —these people were obviously collecting for something… yes that would be it.**

**The traffic moved on and a few minutes later, Mr Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills.** **Mr Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. He didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open-mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead.** **Most of them had never seen an owl even at night-time.**

_"Neither have I,"_ Harry thought as he continued reading.

**Mr Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning. He yelled at five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more. He was in a very good mood until lunchtime, when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road to buy himself a bun from the bakery.**

Harry shook his head at his Uncles gluttony.

**He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy.** **This bunch, were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying.**

"**The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard —",** **"****Yes, their son, Harry —".**

"_How in the world did they hear about my parents' car crash?"_ Harry thought confused.

**Mr Dursley stopped dead.**

_"I sometimes wish that were true"_ Harry thought bitterly.

**Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it.**

**He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him seized his telephone, and had almost finished dialling his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his moustache, thinking… no, he was being stupid.**

_"That's true, but I never would have thought that he would ever admit it"_ Harry thought to himself in amusement.

**Potter wasn't such an unusual name. He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry.**

_"That is true"_ Harry thought to himself at how many names and people there were in the world and how much of a coincidence that this could happen.

**Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew was called Harry.** **He'd never even seen the boy. It might have been Harvey or Harold.**

_"I don't like those names"_ Harry thought grimacing to himself at being called that.

**There was no point in worrying Mrs Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her — if he'd had a sister like that…**

_"A sister like what?"_ Harry thought bitterly to himself at how mean and cruel his aunt was being.

**But all the same, those people in cloaks…He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon and when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door.**** "****Sorry," he grunted, as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell.**

_"I wish he would use that word on me"_ Harry thought bitterly of how uncaring and rude his uncle could/would be to others he did not like or understand.

**It was a few seconds before Mr Dursley realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice that made passersby stare, "Don't be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last! Even Muggles like your self should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!" And the old man hugged Mr Dursley around the middle and walked off.**

"_What kind of a title is You-Know-Who and what is a Muggle?"_ Harry asked himself quietly as he was also astonished that someone could hug his uncle whose belly and waist was very large and would be most difficult to wrap around.

**Mr Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.**

_"I wish he would"_ Harry thought at how less ignorant his uncle would be if he accepted imagination.

**As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw—and it didn't improve his mood — was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning. It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes.**** "****Shoo!" said Mr Dursley loudly.****The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look.**

_"That is really strange cat behaviour,"_ Harry remarked in his mind.

**Was this normal cat behaviour? Mr Dursley wondered.**

_"Nope,"_ Harry thought.

**Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house.**

_"Like the dog that he is," _Harry thought at how much of a mutt his uncle was.

**He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife.**

"_I wonder how long that will take" _Harry thought to himself as he knew that his uncle would not disobey his wife/aunt unless extremely stressed or angered to the point of total ignorance.

**Mrs Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs. Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had learned a new word ("won't!").**

"_He is still a brat as usual"_ Harry thought shaking his head in exasperation and pity on a wasted cause.

**Mr Dursley tried to act normally. When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report on the evening news:**

**"****And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern." The newscaster allowed himself a grin. "Most mysterious, and now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather, going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?"**

**"Well, Ted," said the weatherman, "I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars! Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early — it's not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight."**

**Mr Dursley sat frozen in his armchair, shooting stars all over Britain, owls flying by daylight, mysterious people in cloaks all over the place, and a whisper, a whisper about the Potters…**

**Mrs Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. "Err — Petunia, dear — you haven't heard from your sister lately have you?"**

**As he had expected, Mrs Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister.**** "****No," she said sharply as she asked "Why?"**** "****Funny stuff on the news," Mr Dursley mumbled. "Owls… shooting stars… and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today…"**

**"So?" snapped Mrs Dursley.**** "****Well, I just thought… maybe… it was something to do with… you, know… her crowd."****Mrs Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name 'Potter.' He decided he didn't dare. Instead he said, as casually as he could, "Their son — he'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't he?"**

**"I suppose so," said Mrs Dursley stiffly.**** "****What's his name again? Howard, isn't it?" Mr Dursley**** asked as his wife replied "****Harry, Nasty, common name, if you ask me."**** "****Oh, yes," said Mr Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. "Yes, I quite agree."**

_"I like my name," _Harry thought with great anger and indignation.

**He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed.****While Mrs Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there. It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for something.**

_"That's odd"_ Harry thought.

**Was he imagining things?**

_"You never have before so why start now"_ Harry thought bitterly to himself of how his uncle disapproved of imagination.

**Could all this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did… if it got out that they were related to a pair of —well, he didn't think he could bear it.**

_"A pair of what?"_ Harry wondered to himself.

**The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters were involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs Dursley. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind… He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on — he yawned and turned over — it couldn't affect them…How very wrong he was.**

"_I wish he wasn't"_ Harry thought glumly over what could be happening as he had an inkling of what was going to happen tonight.

**Mr Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive.**

"_That's strange,"_ Harry thought as he imagined and wondered about the oddness of all that is happening in this story.

**It didn't so, much as quiver when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.**

"_That's a long time for a cat to sit still"_ Harry guessed with a bit of a wince at how sore he would be sitting or standing that long.

**A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground.**

"_Just like I did when I was eight"_ Harry thought to himself.

**The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.**

"_That is strange cat behaviour"_ Harry thought.

**Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.**

_"What an odd name"_ Harry thought confused as to why this man was there and how he did all of those strange things.

**Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome. He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known."** **He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop.**

"_That's odd"_ Harry mused about this strange device and what was happening.

**He clicked it again — the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left on the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley,**

"_That's so true"_ Harry thought to himself at how nosey and annoying his aunt could be.

**They wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.**

**"****Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall," Dumbledore said.** **He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone.**

Harry gasped at this as he read on quickly to find out why.

**Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled.**

"_I have a feeling that Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon lied to me about how my parents died" _Harry thought and then wrote 'People can turn into animals' on a notebook that seem to have appeared with a pen alongside it.

**"****How did you know it was me?" she asked.**** "****My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly."**** "****You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day,' said Professor McGonagall.**** "****All day, when you could have been celebrating, I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here.'**

**Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.**** "****Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right," she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no — even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news."**

**She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. "I heard it. ****Flocks of owls… shooting stars… Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent — I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense."**

**"You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years."**

"_That's a long time"_ Harry mused to himself.

**"I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumours."**

**She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really _has _gone, Dumbledore?" "It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore. "We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop?"**

**"A what," Professor McGonagall asked.**

**"A lemon drop, they're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of."**

**"No, thank you," said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for lemon drops. "As I say, even if You-Know-Who _has _gone"**

**"My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like your self can call him by his name? All this 'You-Know-Who' nonsense — for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: _Voldemort_."**

"_That has to be a title or an alias, he had to have had a real birth name"_ Harry mused at this as even he could see this from the strange name of the supposed mystery person that was odder than both of the adults currently in this chapter.

**Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was un-sticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice. "It all gets so confusing if we keep saying "You-Know-Who." I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name."**

**"****I know you haven't," said Professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one you-know- oh, all right, Voldemort, was frightened of."**

'Voldemort is only one frightened of Dumbledore' Harry wrote down on his notepad.

**"****You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will never have."**** "****Only because you're too, well, noble to use them." McGonagall said,**** "****It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs." Dumbledore commented.**

Harry felt awkward and confused at this unnecessary information but shook it off as he continued reading**. **

**Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls are nothing next to the **_**rumours**_** that are flying around. You know what they're saying, about why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?"**

**It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss the real reason she had been waiting on a cold hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she, fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that whatever 'everyone' was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing another lemon drop and did not answer.**

**"****What they're**** saying****," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow.** **He went to find the Potters. The rumour is that Lily and James Potter are — are — that they're —**_**dead**_**."**

"_They were murdered"_ Harry gasped at this realisation and now the real truth of his parents deaths as he also thought _"So Lily is my Mum's name,"_ Harry whispered as he also said in thought _"and James is my father's name." _He felt warm inside at the fact that he now knew their names despite the current mood of this chapter.

**Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped.**** "****Lily and James… I can't believe it… I didn't want to believe it… Oh, Albus…"** **Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "I know… I know…" he said heavily.** **Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. "That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry.** **But he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke — and that's why he's gone."** **Dumbledore nodded glumly.**

Harry saw the green light clearly for the first time and felt a burning sensation on his forehead and for the first time in his life he heard a high cold cruel laugh and gasped in fear and astonishment but soldiered on as he read more.

**"****It's — it's **_**true**_**?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done… all the people he's killed… he couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding… of all the things to stop him… but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?"**

**"****We can only guess." said Dumbledore. "We may never know."** **Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge.**

"_That's a strange watch"_ Harry wondered at how it worked and could be understood.

**It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"**

**"****Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places?"**

**"****I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now."**

_"__Sometimes I wish that weren't true,"_ Harry thought sadly of his mostly miserable home and family life.

**"****You don't mean – you can't mean the people who live here?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. "Dumbledore — you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son — I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets, Harry Potter come, and live here!"**

**"****It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter."**

_"__The first I heard about a letter."_ Harry thought annoyed at what would have been useful if his relatives had not probably burned it the moment that they finished reading it and he was wondering how stable this old man was if he thought that a letter would sort everything out.

**"****A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand him! He'll be famous — a legend —"**

_"__Famous?"_ Harry wondered confused, _"A legend?"_ He thought about this as he continued reading.

**"****I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in the future —"**

_"__I hope not."_ Harry thought worried at the possibility of that happening along with the annoyances and consequences of such probable events happening.

**"****There will be books written about Harry — every child in our world will know his name!"**

_"__Like this one?"_ Harry mused to himself and he then worried at how he would be known worldwide by others and have what little left of his privacy he already had being invaded.

**"****Exactly." said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?"**

"_What's that supposed to mean?"_ Harry asked himself confused over the conversation.

**Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, "Yes — yes, you're right, of course. ****But how is the boy getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.** **"****Hagrid's bringing him." Dumbledore replied.**

**"****You think it —**_**wise**_**— to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?" McGonagall questioned,** **"****I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore.** **"****I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to — what was that?"**

**A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky — and a huge motorbike fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.**

_"__My dream must be a flashback then,"_ Harry reasoned thoughtfully as he remembered dreaming of it nearly every night but now he probably would have new nightmares of a flash of green and high pitched cruel laughter following it.

**If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild — long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.**

_"__A giant,"_ Harry wondered with amazement.

**"Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved, "at last. And where did you get that motorbike?"**

**"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got him, sir." "No problems, were there?" Dumbledore asked.**

**"****No, sir — house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol." Hagrid replied to Dumbledore.**

**Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.**

Harry absent-mindedly rubbed his scar as he read about it.

**"****Is that where —?" whispered Professor McGonagall.** **"****Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever."**

_"__I wish I didn't,"_ Harry thought to himself now as he knew that his relatives complained about it and always reminded him of it of which he just used as a way to annoy and get back at his relatives terrible treatment of him, but now he knew the truth about his scar he wasn't so fond of it at all anymore _(A/N: Yeah, he thinks that he does know the truth for now)._

**"****Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?" McGonagall asked,**** "****Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground."**

_"__That's strange,"_ Harry thought confused and a little freaked out at this detail.

**"****Well — give him here, Hagrid — we'd better get this over with."** **Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursleys' house.** **"****Could I — could I say good-bye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.**

**"****Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "You'll wake the Muggles!"**

_"__Good,"_ Harry thought somewhat miserably at how someone could have stopped him from being sent to live with the Dursley's.

**"****S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it —Lily an' James dead — an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles —",**** "****Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets, and then came back to the other two.**

"_He actually left me on the doorstep!"_ Harry thought slightly angry and astonished at the man's stupidity and ignorance of how he could have frozen to death during the night or eaten by a stray hungry dog.

**For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.**

**"****Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations."**

_"__Oh yeah,"_ Harry thought sarcastically _"Let's celebrate the death of Harry Potter's parents meanwhile said baby Potter is probably sleeping in freezing cold weather and likely catch Pneumonia or Hypothermia."_

**"****Yeah," said Hagrid in a very, muffled voice, "I best get this bike away, g'night, Professor McGonagall — Professor Dumbledore, sir."**

**Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night.**

**"****I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply.**

**Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street.**

**He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four.** **"****Good luck, Harry," he murmured.**

"Thanks a bunch, I'm going to need it" Harry whispered to himself grimacing at what he had to endure living here with the Dursley's.

**He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone.** **A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley…He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter — the boy who lived!"**

_"__Oh so I'm the boy who lived,"_ Harry thought, slightly dazed at this knowledge.

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><p><strong>MAJOR IMPORTANT WARNING AND ALERT<strong>

This is important, SOPA is coming back please consider posting this on one or all of your stories!

MY COMRADES THIS IS A WARNING!

I found this out from an author of a story!

In is an important notice that will affect everyone on this sight and many others.

SOPA is back. The bill that is threatening to take away our freedoms on the internet is back. Not only back, but it is trying to be passed quietly so nobody notices. SOPA will guarantee that anybody who streams a video, whether it be on youtube, a walkthrough for a video game, or a kid singing a song that is 'copyrighted' they will be treated as a felon. That is one of the highest form of criminal offensives for something as simple as uploading a video game walkthrough on youtube, playing a song with lyrics of your favorite artist and even one we all go on, this one right here.

I am telling everyone this because it effect us all here as Fanfiction will being attacked as well. A fanfiction writer can being carted off to a maximum state prison for writing a character from Naruto into their fanfic, or a character from Bleach, or a character from One Piece, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, the list is endless. You think I an exaggerating? I assure you that if this passes it will not be long, not be long at all, because once this passes, then anything goes. Fanfiction will be attacked for using canon characters in a fanon manner, authors will be arrested for writing a book whose main character has glasses just like in another series, artists will be arrested and confined for using sapphire blue in the iris of one of their characters like another author. This effect us all and we can not let it happen.

I figure some of you do not believe me and I can understand. I could be making this up for all you know. But I provided a link at the top to show you I am telling the truth.

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><p>Review please and you may have noticed how I have changed some things with the content of this chapter as I had finally decided to fix some of the mistakes that I had made to or had ignored for some time pertaining to this fic.<p>

Please comment and help me for the other fics and chapters of this particular fic so that I can improve it.


	2. Chapter 2

Flamel's and the Stone - Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own anything apart from adopting this story as I have never done so before until now. Also the text in non-bold is Harry's reactions and thoughts as he is the only character who is the reader of the book at the moment and italic are his thoughts at the moment but that may change as the story moves along and this chapter has been edited for those who do not know.

Disclaimer:I do not own anyone.

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><p><span>Cupboard under the Stairs<span>

Harry turned the page and continued to read.

**The Vanishing Glass**

**Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys had woken up to find their nephew on the front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all. The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number four on the Dursleys' front door; it crept into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr. Dursley had seen that fateful news report about the owls. Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed. **

**Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-coloured bonnets — but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby, and now the photographs showed a large blond boy riding his first bicycle, on a carousel at the fair, playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother. The room held no sign at all that another boy lived in the house, too.**

**Yet Harry Potter was still there, asleep at the moment, but not for long. His Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day.**

**"Up, get up, now," his Aunt Petunia ordered.**

**Harry woke with a start. His aunt rapped on the door again.**

**"Up!" she screeched. Harry heard her walking toward the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove. He rolled onto his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a flying motorcycle in it. He had a funny feeling he'd had the same dream before.**

**His aunt was back outside the door.**

**"Are you up yet?" she demanded.**

**"Nearly," said Harry.**

**"Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday."**

"Oh right his birthday is tomorrow" Harry thought as he now remembered his fat cousin's birthday.

**Harry groaned.**

**"What did you say?" his aunt snapped through the door.**

**"Nothing, nothing…"**

**Dudley's birthday — how could he have forgotten? Harry got slowly out of bed and started looking for socks. He found a pair under his bed and, after pulling a spider off one of them, put them on. Harry was used to spiders, because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where he slept.**

_"I wish that I didn't" _He thought sadly as while the cupboard kept him safe and away from the Dursley's it was hardly the best available room for him to sleep in.

**When he was dressed he went down the hall into the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents. It looked as though Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing bike.**

**Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise — unless of course it involved punching somebody.**

**Dudley's favourite punching bag was Harry, but he couldn't often catch him. Harry didn't look it, but he was very fast.**

**Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age.**

**He looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's, and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was. Harry had a thin face, knobby knees, black hair, and bright green eyes.**

**He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose. The only thing Harry liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that was shaped like a bolt of lightning.**

_"I don't like it now, now that I understand where I got it from"_ Harry thought back to his previous musings when reading the previous chapter.

**He had had it as long as he could remember, and the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had gotten it.**

**"In the car crash when your parents died," she had said.**

_"They didn't die in a car crash"_ Harry hissed in his mind.

**"And don't ask questions." Don't ask questions — that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursleys.**

**Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon.**

**"Comb your hair!" he barked, by way of a morning greeting.**

**About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and shouted that Harry needed a haircut. Harry must have had more haircuts than the rest of the boys in his class put together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way — all over the place.**

**Harry was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother. Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes, and thick blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head.**

**Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel — Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.**

_"He still does" _Harry thought snickering quietly to himself

**Harry put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult as there wasn't much room. Dudley, meanwhile, was counting his presents. His face fell.**

**"Thirty-six," he said, looking up at his mother and father. 'That's two less than last year.'**

**"Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, its here under this big one from Mummy and Daddy."**

**"All right, thirty-seven then," said Dudley, going red in the face. Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over.**

"Which happens nearly everyday at breakfast" Harry thought with exasperation at how much of a little baby his cousin would/could be.

**Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger, too, because she said quickly, "And we'll buy you another two presents while we're out today. How's that, popkin? Two more presents. Is that all right?"**

**Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. Finally he said slowly, "So I'll have thirty… thirty…"**

**"Thirty-nine, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia.**

**"Oh." Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel. "All right then."**

**Uncle Vernon chuckled.**

**"Little tyke**

_"Uncle Vernon needs his eyes checked"_ Harry thought befuddled at his Uncles apparent blindness to his sons actual size and girth.

**Wants his money's worth, just like his father", "atta boy, Dudley," he ruffled Dudley's hair.**

**At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a video camera, a remote control airplane, sixteen new computer games, and a VCR.**

_"Greedy, selfish pig"_ Harry viciously thought at how much stuff his cousin gets in gifts and breaks most of them with only himself getting little gifts in return by his relatives and only taking left over or disused small toys that his cousin had abandoned or thrown away thinking it 'useless' meaning not expensive or big/flashy.

**He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came back from the telephone looking both angry and worried.**

**"****Bad news, Vernon," she said. "Mrs. Figg's broken her leg. She can't take him."**

**She jerked her head in Harry's direction.**

_"Maybe I'll be able to go,"_ Harry thought _"but it's too bad about Mrs Figg."_

**Dudley's mouth fell open in horror, but Harry's heart gave a leap. Every year on Dudley's birthday, his parents took him and a friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger restaurants, or the movies. Every year, Harry was left behind with Mrs. Figg, a mad old lady who lived two streets away. Harry hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs. Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned.**

_"Its not that bad," _Harry thought _"Its better than my relatives regular treatment of me."_

**"****Now what" said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Harry as though he'd planned, this**

_"Which I didn't"_Harry thought to himself.

**Harry knew he ought to feel sorry that Mrs. Figg had broken her leg, but it wasn't easy when he reminded himself it would be a whole year before he had to look at Tibbles, Snowy, Mr. Paws, and Tufty again.**

**"****We could phone Marge," Uncle Vernon suggested.**

_"Please no, not her" _Harry thought desperately at the idea and possibility of being with that...that...Monster and bully of a Aunt.

**"****Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy."**

_"Thank goodness"_Harry thought with relief.

**The Dursleys often spoke about Harry like this, as though he wasn't there — or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug.**

_"No, thats them not me" _Harry mischievously thought.

**"What**** about what's-her-name your friend Yvonne,' Uncle Vernon asked.**

'**On vacation in Majorca,' snapped Aunt Petunia.**

_"That's good"_ Harry thought as he remembered her vaguely as being nearly as bad as Aunt Petunia in manners and personality.

**"****You could just leave me here," Harry put in hopefully (he'd be able to watch what he wanted on television for a change and maybe even have a go on Dudley's computer).**

**Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon.**

**'And come back and find the house in ruins?' she snarled.**

'**I won't blow up the house,' said Harry, but they weren't listening.**

'Tomorrow don't say you could just leave me here because it won't help' Harry wrote.

'**I suppose we could take him to the zoo,' said Aunt Petunia slowly,**

_"I'd love that" _Harry thinks with a little hope.

**"… and leave him in the car…"**

**"That car's new he's not sitting in it alone…"**

_"I am not some dog" _Harry thought, angry at being compared to a animal or pet.

**Dudley began to cry loudly. In fact, he wasn't really crying — it had been years since he'd really cried — but he knew that if he screwed up his face and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted.**

**"Dinky Duddydums, don't cry, Mummy won't let him spoil your special day!" she cried, flinging her arms around him.**

**"I… don't… want… him… t-t-to come," Dudley yelled between huge, pretend sobs, "he always sp-spoils everything!"**

****He shot Harry a nasty grin through the gap in his mother's arms.****

"Brat," Harry hissed quietly.

**Just then, the doorbell rang — "Oh, good Lord, they're here!" said Aunt Petunia frantically — and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother.**

**Piers, was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat. He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them. Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once.**

_"What you can't pretend to cry in front of your friend?"_

**Half an hour later, Harry, who couldn't believe his luck, was sitting in the back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in his life.**

Harry grinned happily at the possible experience he may yet have.

**His aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with him, but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Harry aside.**

'**I'm warning you,' he had said, putting his large purple face right up close to Harry's, 'I'm warning you now, boy — any funny business, anything at all — and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas.'**

"**I'm not going to do anything," said Harry, "honestly…"**

**But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No one ever did.**

_"Sad but true" _Harry lamented in thought.**  
><strong>

**The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and it was just no good telling the Dursleys he didn't make them happen.**

**Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the barbers looking as though he hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald except for his bangs, which she left 'to hide that horrible scar.' Dudley had laughed himself silly at Harry, who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day, where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and taped glasses. Next morning, however, he had gotten up to find his hair exactly as it had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off. He had been given a week in his cupboard for this, even though he had tried to explain that he couldn't explain how it had grown back so quickly.**

**Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force him into a revolting old sweater of Dudley's (brown with orange puff balls). The harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a hand puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Harry. Aunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to his great relief, Harry wasn't punished.**

**On the other hand, he'd gotten into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley's gang had been chasing him as usual when, as much to Harry's surprise as anyone else's, there he was sitting on the chimney. The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from Harry's headmistress telling them Harry had been climbing school buildings. But all he'd tried to do (as he shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of his cupboard) was jump behind the big trashcans outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid-jump.**

_"You know maybe I did make those things happen by myself or accident" _Harry guessed in thought.

**But today, nothing was going to go wrong. It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, his cupboard, or Mrs. Figg's cabbage-smelling living room.**

**While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things: people at work, Harry, the council, Harry, the bank, and Harry were just a few of his favourite subjects. This morning, it was motorcycles.**

**"…****roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums," he said, as a motorcycle overtook them.**

'**I had a dream about a motorcycle,' said Harry, remembering suddenly. 'It was flying.'**

_"Why the heck did I say that?"_ Harry wondered_ "Now I'm going to be yelled at and Dudley and Piers will laugh at me."_

**Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beet with a moustache: "MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!"**

**Dudley and Piers sniggered.**

_"That's what I thought" _Harry nodded with his thoughts at his guess of what would likely happen if he said such a silly thing in front of his relatives and Piers Polkiss.

**"****I know they don't," said Harry. "It was only a dream."**

'Do not say a word about my dream tomorrow or end up being yelled at' Harry wrote.

**But he wished he hadn't said anything. If there was one thing the Dursleys hated even more than his asking questions, it was his talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon — they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas.**

**It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice pop.**

"Wow," Harry said quietly in whisper as his eyes went wide at the lucky chance to have an actual ice lolly.

**It wasn't bad, either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head who, looked remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn't blond.**

Harry was desperately struggling not to burst out in laughter at his cousin being the possible 'missing link' between Man and Ape but also felt sorry for the Gorilla for being probably related to Dudley.

**Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall back on their favourite hobby of hitting him.**

**They ate in the zoo restaurant, and when Dudley had a tantrum because his knickerbocker glory didn't have enough ice cream on top, Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Harry was allowed to finish the first.**

"Wow," Harry quietly said wide-eyed at his apparant good luck so far.

**Harry felt, afterward, that he should have known it was all too good to last.**

_"I knew that was going to happen," _Harry thought of his unusual balance of good and bad luck and how much it irked him when he was in a tight spot or awkward situation and had no chance of good luck happening, only bad.

**After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in there, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone, Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a trash can — but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep.**

**Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the glistening brown coils.**

**"Make it move," he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge.**

**"Do it again," Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on.**

**"This is boring," Dudley moaned. He shuffled away.**

**Harry moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He wouldn't have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself — no company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up; at least he got to visit the rest of the house.**

**The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Harry's.**

**_It winked._**

_"That's strange" _Harry thought at this odd thing happening.

**The snake jerked its head toward Uncle Vernon and Dudley then raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly:**

**"_I get that all the time."_**

**"****I know," Harry murmured through the glass, though he wasn't sure the snake could hear him. "It must be really annoying."**

**The snake nodded vigorously.**

_"Cool,"_ Harry thought _"I'm talking to a snake, but how am I doing it?"_

**"****Where do you come from, anyway?" Harry asked.**

**The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Harry peered at it.**

**'Boa Constrictor, Brazil.'**

**"Was it nice there?"**

**The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Harry read on: _This specimen was bred in the zoo._ "Oh, I see — so you've never been to Brazil?"**

**As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry made both of them jump.**

"Go away," Harry quietly hissed like the snake in in the chapter at not getting more time.

**"****DUDLEY! MR. DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT IT'S DOING!"**

**Dudley came waddling toward them as fast as he could.**

_"Like a fat penguin" _Harry thought, momentarily amused.

**"****Out of the way, you," he said, punching Harry in the ribs. Caught by surprise, Harry fell hard on the concrete floor.**

_"Ouch"_ Harry thought rubbing his ribs in sympathy for his book and future self as he knew the pain of being punched there would feel like hell.

**What came next happened so fast no one saw how it happened — one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls of horror.**

**Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished.**

_"Oh dear I'm going to be punished big time for that"_ Harry thought with dreadfilling in his gut.

**The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits.**

**As the snake slid swiftly past him, Harry could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, "Brazil, here I come… thanksss, amigo."**

"You're welcome," Harry said quietly wondering if it found a way to get home.

**The keeper of the reptile house was in shock.**

**"****But the glass," he kept saying, "where did the glass go?"**

Don't talk to the snake tomorrow and say yes sir when Uncle Vernon tells me not to do anything or I'll be in my cupboard till Christmas Harry wrote.

**The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong, sweet tea while he apologized over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only gibber. As far as Harry had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except snap playfully at their heels as it passed, but by the time they were all back in Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling them how it had nearly bitten off his leg, while Piers was swearing it had tried to squeeze him to death. But worst of all, for Harry at least, was Piers calming down enough to say, "Harry was talking to it, weren't you, Harry?"**

"Shut up," Harry hissed quietly again at said person responsible for the whole mess who alerted nearly the whole Zoo of Harry's interaction with the snake

**Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting on Harry. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to say, "Go — cupboard — stay — no meals," before he collapsed into a chair, and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy.**

_"I wonder how long I will be in there for" _Harry wondered with despair as he momentarily looked around his room/cupboard.

**Harry lay in his dark cupboard much later, wishing he had a watch. He didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchen for some food.**

**He'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years, as long as he could remember, ever since he'd been a baby and his parents had died in that car crash. He couldn't remember being in the car when his parents had died.**

** Sometimes, when he strained his memory during long hours in his cupboard, he came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light and a burning pain on his forehead.**

**This, he supposed, was the crash,**

_"No it wasn't, but I'm going to guess that it was what remained of the attack when Voldemort tried to kill me," _He assumed from the current evidence._  
><em>

**Though he couldn't imagine where all the green light came from. He couldn't remember his parents at all.**

He drooped his head in sadness at this depressing fact but pushed through it and continued reading.

**His aunt and uncle never spoke about them, and of course he was forbidden to ask questions. There were no photographs of them in the house.**

**When he had been younger, Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relation coming to take him away, but it had never happened; the Dursleys were his only family. Yet sometimes he thought (or maybe hoped) that strangers in the street seemed to know him. Very strange strangers they were, too.**

**A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to him once while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley. After asking Harry furiously if he knew the man, Aunt Petunia had rushed them out of the shop without buying anything. A wild-looking old woman dressed all in green had waved merrily at him once on a bus.**

** A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken his hand in the street the other day and then walked away without a word. The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to, vanish the second Harry tried to get a closer look.**

_"I'm not sure why those people did all of those things"_ He commented in his mind but he did have an inkling as to why those people might have done those odd things when he was around.

**At school, Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang.**

Harry gasped in astonishment as the book vanished and he suddenly felt himself fall asleep right away.

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><p>Please Review and tell me what you think of my changes.<p>

FOR THOSE WHO HAVE READ THIS CHAPTER AND OTHERS PLEASE KNOW THAT I AM WORKING AS FAST AS I CAN IN EDITING THE OTHER LATER CHAPTERS SO PLEASE BE PATIENT AS I NEED TIME.


	3. Chapter 3

Flamel's and the Stone - Chapter 3: Dudley's Eleventh Birthday

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone and this chapter is edited a little for better reading and understanding.

P.S: This is not a book reading chapter more of a break and filler chapter but please read as it may help in future chapters.

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><p><span>No 4 Privet Drive - The Next Day<span>

It felt like two seconds later than when Harry was last asleep when he heard Aunt Petunia's shrill voice ordering him "Up, get up now."

Harry woke up as Aunt Petunia rapped on the door again.

"Up," she screeched and Harry sat up but made sure to not bash his head against the underside of the stairs like he had done a few times before which hurt, a lot.

As Aunt Petunia walked towards the kitchen Harry started getting dressed.

As what sounded like Aunt Petunia putting the frying pan onto the stove Harry walked to his cupboard door listening for his Aunt.

"Are you up yet," Aunt Petunia demanded.

"Yes Aunt Petunia," Harry said just as he was opening the door and going out of his cupboard.

"I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday."

"Yes Aunt Petunia," Harry said and walked to the kitchen to see Dudley's presents before he started watching and frying the bacon.

Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon on their other sides.

"Comb your hair!" he barked, his usual way of a morning greeting to Harry.

Harry was now onto frying up the eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother.

Harry turned off the hobs and began plating the fried foods and put the plates of egg and bacon on the table when he was done, which was a difficult task as there wasn't much room. Dudley, meanwhile, was counting his presents. His face fell.

"Thirty-six," he said, looking up at his mother and father. "That's two less than last year."

"Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, its here under this big one from Mummy and Daddy." Petunia said trying to keep her son calm.

"All right, thirty-seven then," said Dudley, going red in the face.

Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down his small portion of the bacon as fast as possible.

Aunt Petunia quickly said, "And we'll buy you another two presents while we're out today. How's that, popkin? Two more presents. Is that all right?"

Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. Finally he said slowly, "So I'll have thirty… thirty…" Harry thought he looked rather constipated doing all of that thinking.

"Thirty-nine, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia.

"Oh." Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel. "All right then."

Uncle Vernon chuckled.

"Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father, 'atta boy, Dudley!" He ruffled Dudley's hair.

At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a video camera, a remote control airplane, sixteen new computer games, and a VCR.

He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came back from the telephone looking both angry and worried.

"Bad news, Vernon," she said. "Mrs. Figg's broken her leg. She can't take him."

She jerked her head in Harry's direction.

Dudley's mouth fell open in horror, but Harry's heart gave a leap knowing that he would be able to go to the zoo for the first time in his life.

"Now what," said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Harry as though he'd planned this?

Harry still felt sorry that Mrs. Figg had broken her leg.

"We could phone Marge," Uncle Vernon suggested.

"Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy."

"What about what's-her-name, your friend, Yvonne?" Uncle Vernon asked.

"On vacation in Majorca," snapped Aunt Petunia and then slowly said, "I suppose we could take him to the zoo… and leave him in the car…"

"That car's new he's not sitting in it alone…"

Dudley began to cry loudly.

"Dinky Duddydums, don't cry, Mummy won't let him spoil your special day!" she cried, flinging her arms around him.

"I… don't… want… him… t-t-to come!" Dudley yelled between huge, pretend sobs, "he always sp-spoils everything!" He shot Harry a nasty grin through the gap in his mother's arms.

Just then, the doorbell rang — 'Oh, good Lord, they're here!' said Aunt Petunia frantically — and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother.

Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once.

Before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Harry aside.

"I'm warning you," he had said, putting his large purple face right up close to Harry's, "I'm warning you now, boy — any funny business, anything at all — and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas."

"Yes sir," Harry said.

While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things: people at work, Harry, the council, Harry, the bank, and Harry were just a few of his favourite subjects. This morning, it was motorcycles.

"…roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums," he said, as a motorcycle overtook them.

Harry reminded himself of his promises and notes, so he kept his mouth shut about his dream.

It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice pop.

It wasn't bad, either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head, who, looked remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn't blond and snickered mentally at his thoughts from last nights reading.

Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall back on their favourite hobby of hitting him when bored or just wanting to hit something.

They ate in the zoo restaurant, and when Dudley had a tantrum because his knickerbocker glory didn't have enough ice cream on top, Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Harry was allowed to finish the first.

Harry was happy because it was delicious even though it was about half eaten already by his cousin.

After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in there, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a trash can — but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep.

Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the glistening brown coils.

"Make it move," he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge.

"Do it again," Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on.

"This is boring," Dudley moaned. He shuffled away.

Harry followed Dudley, Piers, Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia and saw many reptiles that he found very fascinating making him glad that he did not try and speak to the snake as he would not have gotten a chance to experience the Zoo better than he could have if he did not read the book.

They went to a nearby restaurant for dinner after spending most of the day at the Zoo where both Harry's uncle and aunt bought a few things for Dudley from the Zoo Gift Shop, then Uncle Vernon drove them all home after dropping off Piers at his house where his mother was waiting for him.

Right after Harry was asked/yelled at to go to bed by his Aunt and Uncle he said, "Happy Birthday Dudley," to his cousins amazement but Harry ignored this as he went into his cupboard hoping to read more of the book if it appeared.

He then went to sleep, wishing to see the book when he woke up.

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><p>Please Review and maybe VOTE on my Poll for another future fic of mine.<p>

Hope that you like my edits of the chapters so far, see you soon.


	4. Chapter 4

Flamel's and the Stone: Chapter 4 of the Story but Chapter 3 of the Book

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone, and this chapter continues with Harry reading the mysterious book.

Text of this Story - For The Moment

Non Bold Text: Reactions and actions of Character (Harry) reading book.

_Italic Text: Thoughts of Character reading Book._

**Bold Text: Text and words of Book.  
><strong>

Underlined text: Locations of where Characters and story are positioned and titles of Different Chapters.

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><p><span>Cupboard Under The Stairs, Next Day<span>

Harry later awoke to find the book next to his bed/cot, he picked it up and started to read the next chapter.

**The Letters from No One**

_"I wonder what that means" _Harry pondered at the odd title of this chapter

**The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Harry his longest-ever punishment. By the time he was allowed out of his cupboard again, the summer holidays had started and Dudley had already broken his new cine-camera, crashed his remote-control aeroplane and, first time on his racing bike, knocked down old Mrs. Figg as she crossed Privet Drive on her crutches.**

**Harry was glad school was over, but there was no escaping Dudley's gang, who visited the house every single day. Piers, Dennis, Malcolm and Gordon were all big and stupid, but as Dudley was the biggest and stupidest of the lot, he was the leader.**

**The rest of them were quite happy to join in Dudley's favourite sport: Harry-hunting.**

**This was why Harry spent as much time as possible out of the house, wandering around thinking about the end of the holidays, where he could see a tiny ray of hope. When September came he would be going off to secondary school and, for the first time in his life, he wouldn't be with Dudley. Dudley had a place at Uncle Vernon's old school Smeltings Piers Polkiss was going there, too.**

**Harry, on the other hand, was going to Stonewall High, the local comprehensive.**

_"I wonder if that's even going to really happen?"_ Harry thought to himself as it did seem unlikely with how this book may change that, he did not know why he just had a feeling..

**Dudley thought this was very funny.**

**"They stuff people's heads down the toilet first day at Stonewall," he told Harry. "Want to come upstairs and practice?"**

**'No thanks," said Harry. "The poor toilets never had anything as horrible as your head down it - it might be sick."**

**Then he ran for it before Dudley could work out what he'd said.**

Harry snickered queietly at his parting jab

**One day in July, Aunt Petunia took Dudley to London to buy his Smeltings uniform, leaving Harry at Mrs. Figg's.**

_"So I don't get a chance to go out with them"_ Harry thought miserably.

**Mrs. Figg wasn't as bad as usual.**

_"That's strange"_ Harry pondered.

**It turned out she'd broken her leg tripping over one her cats and she didn't seem quite as fond of them as before. She let Harry watch television and gave him a bit of chocolate cake that tasted as though she'd had it for several years.**

_"That was nicer than my relatives treatment of me though"_ Harry thought somewhat happily but grimaced slightly at the thought of eating cake that was waaaay past its sell by date.

**That evening, Dudley paraded around the living-room for the family in his brand-new uniform. Smeltings boys wore maroon tailcoats, orange knickerbockers and flat straw hats called boaters.**

Harry was laughing silently so that he wouldn't cause suspicion to Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon and Dudley if they were still awake.

**They also carried knobbly sticks, used for hitting each other while the teachers weren't looking. This was supposed to be good training for later life.**

_"I don't see how" _he thought confused over his cousins new school's weird policies and strange teachings.

**As he looked at Dudley in his new knickerbockers, Uncle Vernon said gruffly that it was the proudest moment of his life. Aunt Petunia burst into tears and said she couldn't believe her Ickle Dudleykins he looked so handsome and grown-up.**

_"Yeah right,"_ Harry thought sarcastically.

**Harry didn't trust himself to speak. He thought two of his ribs might already have cracked from trying not to laugh.**

_"It seems like we think alike," _Harry thought amused over his own little joke between his real self and book-self.

**There was a horrible smell in the kitchen the next morning when Harry went for breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink. He went to have a look. The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in grey water.**

**"What's this?" he asked Aunt Petunia. Her lips tightened as they always did if he dared to ask a question.**

**"Your new school uniform," she said.**

**Harry looked in the bowl again.**

**"Oh," he said. "I didn't realise it had to be so wet."**

"**Don't be stupid," snapped aunt Petunia. "I'm dyeing some of Dudley's old things grey for you. It'll look like everyone else's when I've finished."**

**Harry seriously doubted this, but thought it best not to argue. He sat down at the table and tried not to think about how he was going to look on his first day at Stonewall High - like he was wearing bits of old elephant skin, probably.**

**Dudley and Uncle Vernon came in, both with wrinkled noses because of the smell from Harry's new uniform. Uncle Vernon opened his newspaper as usual and Dudley banged his Smeltings stick, which he carried everywhere, on the table.**

**They heard the click of the letter-box and flop of letters on the doormat.**

**"Get the post, Dudley," said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper.**

_"Thats a surprise," _Harry thought slightly amazed and confused over his Uncle asking Dudley to do a chore like that.

**"Make Harry get it."**

**"Get the post, Harry."**

**"Make Dudley get it."**

**"Poke him with your Smeltings stick, Dudley."**

_"And life returns to normal" _Harry thought with slight depression and resignation.

**Harry dodged the Smeltings stick and went to get the post: three things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister Marge, who was holidaying on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill and - _a letter for Harry._**

Harry gasped quietly and thought _"Who would ever write to me?"_

**Harry picked it up and stared at it, his heart twanging like a giant elastic band.**

**No one, ever, in his whole life, had written to him. Who would? He had no friends, no other relatives - he didn't belong to the library so he'd never even got rude notes asking for books back. Yet, here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake:**

**Mr. H. Potter**

**The Cupboard under the Stairs**

_"How do they know where my bedroom is?"_ Harry thought confused, along over the information he was seeing before his very eyes in this chapter of the book.

**4 Privet Drive**

**Little Whinging**

**Surrey**

**The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp.**

_"Strange," _Harry thought over this odd letter His book and possible future self was receiving.

**Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake surrounding a large letter 'H'.**

**"Hurry up, boy!" shouted Uncle Vernon from the kitchen. "What are you doing, checking for letter-bombs" He chuckled at his own joke.**

_"That's not a good joke at all,"_ Harry thought shaking his head at his uncles stupidity and idiocy.

**Harry went back to the kitchen, still staring at his letter. He handed Uncle Vernon the bill and the postcard, sat down and slowly began to open the yellow envelope.**

**Uncle Vernon ripped open the bill, snorted in disgust and flipped over the postcard.**

**"Marge's ill," he informed Aunt Petunia. "Ate a funny whelk ..."**

**"Dad!" said Dudley suddenly. "Dad, Harry's got something!"**

"Shut up!" Harry hissed quietly in anger and worry over what will happen next.

**Harry was on the point of unfolding his letter, which was written on the same heavy parchment as the envelope, when it was jerked sharply out of his hand by Uncle Vernon.**

_'Open my letter in the hall'_ Harry wrote down on the paper notepad that was hidden underneath his pillow.

**"That's mine!" said Harry, trying to snatch it back.**

**"Who'd be writing to you," sneered Uncle Vernon, shaking the letter open with one hand and glancing at it.**

**His face went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights. And it didn't stop there. Within seconds it was the greyish white of old porridge.**

**"P-P-Petunia!" he gasped.**

**Dudley tried to grab the letter to read it,but Uncle Vernon held it high out of his reach. Aunt Petunia took it curiously and read the first line.**

**For a moment it looked as though she might faint.**

**She clutched her throat and made a choking noise.**

**"Vernon oh my goodness – Vernon," Aunt Petunia said.**

_"They know something"_ Harry accused in his mind.

**They stared at each other, seeming to have forgotten that Harry and Dudley were still in the room. Dudley wasn't used to being ignored. He gave his father a sharp tap on the head with his Smeltings stick.**

**"I want to read that letter," he said loudly.**

**"I want to read it," said Harry furiously, "as it's mine."**

**"Get out both of you," croaked Uncle Vernon, stuffing the letter back inside its envelope.**

**Harry didn't move.**

**"I WANT MY LETTER!" he shouted.**

**"Let me see it!" demanded Dudley.**

**"OUT!" roared Uncle Vernon and he took both Harry and Dudley by the scruffs of their necks and threw them into the hall, slamming the kitchen door behind them.**

_"Wow Dudley didn't get to read the letter"_ Harry thought amazed at what was going on so far.

**Harry and Dudley promptly had a furious but silent fight over who would listen at the keyhole; Dudley won, so Harry, his glasses dangling from one ear, lay flat on his stomach to listen at the crack between the door and the floor.**

**"Vernon," Aunt Petunia was saying in a quivering voice, "look at the address - how could they possibly know where he sleeps? You don't think they're watching the house?"**

**"Watching - spying - might be following us," muttered Uncle Vernon wildly.**

**"But what should we do, Vernon? Should we write back? Tell them we don't want - "**

**Harry could see Uncle Vernon's shiny shoes pacing up and down the kitchen.**

**"No," he said finally. "No, we'll ignore it. If they don't get an answer ... yes, that's best ... we won't do anything ..."**

**"But -"**

**"I'm not having one in the house, Petunia! Didn't we swear when we took him in we'd stamp out all that dangerous nonsense?"**

**That evening when he got back from work, Uncle Vernon did something he'd never done before; he visited Harry in his cupboard.**

_"Really," _Harry pondered confused _"I wonder why?"_

**"Where's my letter?" said Harry, the moment Uncle Vernon had squeezed through the door. "Who's writing to me?"**

**"No one, it was addressed to you by mistake," said Uncle Vernon shortly. "I have burned it."**

**"It was not a mistake," said Harry angrily. "It had my cupboard on it."**

**"SILENCE!" yelled Uncle Vernon, and a couple of spiders fell from the ceiling. He took a few deep breaths and then forced his face into a smile, which looked quite painful.**

**"Er – yes, Harry – about this cupboard. Your aunt and I have been thinking...you're really getting a bit big for it … we think it might be nice if you moved into Dudley's second bedroom."**

**"Why?" said Harry.**

**"Don't ask questions!" snapped his uncle. "Take this stuff upstairs, now."**

**The Dursleys' house had four bedrooms: one for Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, one for visitors (usually Uncle Vernon's sister, Marge), one where Dudley slept and one where Dudley kept all the toys and things that wouldn't fit into Dudley's first bedroom.**

**It only took Harry one trip upstairs to move everything he owned from the cupboard into his room. He sat down on the bed and stared around him.**

**Nearly everything in here was broken. the month-old cine-camera was lying on top of a small, working tank Dudley had once driven over next door's dog; in the corner was Dudley's first-ever television set, which he'd put his foot through when his favourite programme had been cancelled; there was a large birdcage which had once held a parrot that Dudley had swapped at school for a real air-rifle, which was up on a shelf with the end all bent because Dudley had sat on it. Other shelves were full of books. They were the only things in the room that looked as if they hadn't been touched before.**

_"What a waste of perfectly good books and toys," _thought Harry.

**From downstairs came the sound of Dudley bawling at his mother: "I don't want him in there ... I need that room ... make him get out ..."**

**Harry sighed and stretched out on the bed. Yesterday he'd have given anything to be up here. Today he'd rather be back in his cupboard with that letter than up here without it.**

_"I can understand that" _

**Next morning at breakfast, everyone was rather quiet. Dudley was in shock. He'd screamed, whacked his father with his Smeltings stick, been sick on purpose, kicked his mother and thrown his tortoise through the greenhouse roof and he still didn't have his room back.**

_"Wow"_ Harry thought surprised.

**Harry was thinking about this time yesterday and bitterly wishing he'd opened the letter in the hall.**

**Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia kept looking at each other darkly.**

**When the post arrived, Uncle Vernon, who seemed to be trying to be nice to Harry, made Dudley go and get it.**

_"He wasn't trying to be nice,"_ Harry thought bitterly to him self _"He just didn't want me to read the letter."_

**They heard him banging things with his Smeltings stick all the way down the hall. Then he shouted, "There's another one! Mr. H. Potter, the Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive - "**

_"That was stupid seeing as Dudley wanted to read it,"_ Harry thought.

**With a strangled cry, Uncle Vernon leapt from his seat and ran down the hall, Harry right behind him. Uncle Vernon had to wrestle Dudley to the ground to get the letter from him, which was made difficult by the fact that Harry had grabbed Uncle Vernon around the neck from behind.**

**After a minute of confused fighting, in which everyone got hit a lot by the Smeltings stick, Uncle Vernon straightened up, gasping for breath, with Harry's letter clutched in his hand.**

**"Go to your cupboard - I mean, your bedroom," he wheezed at Harry, "Dudley - go - just go."**

**Harry walked round and round his room. Someone knew he had moved out of his cupboard and they seemed to know he hadn't received his first letter. Surely that meant they'd try again? And this time he'd make sure they didn't fail. He had a plan.**

**The repaired alarm clock rang at six o'clock the next morning. Harry turned it off quickly and dressed silently. He mustn't wake the Dursleys. He stole downstairs without turning on any of the lights.**

**He was going to wait for the postman on the corner of Privet Drive and get the letters for number four first.**

**His heart hammered as he crept across the dark hall towards the front door –**

**"AAAAARRRGH," Harry leapt into the air - he'd trodden on something big and squashy on the doormat - something alive!**

**Lights clicked on upstairs and to his horror Harry realised that the big squashy something had been his uncle's face.**

Harry smiled that his book self got to step on his Uncle and then frowned because his plan didn't work.

**Uncle Vernon had been lying at the foot of the front door in a sleeping bag, clearly making sure that Harry didn't do exactly what he'd been trying to do.**

**He shouted at Harry for about half an hour and then told him to go and make a cup of tea. Harry shuffled miserably off into the kitchen, and by the time he got back, the post had arrived, right into Uncle Vernon's lap. Harry could see three letters addressed in green ink.**

'**I want' he began, but Uncle Vernon was tearing the letters into pieces before his eyes.**

_"Fatso Hippo *******" _Harry cursed, commenting on the cruelty of which was shown to his book/future self, in his mind.

**Uncle Vernon didn't go to work that day. He stayed at home and nailed up the letter-box.**

**"See," he explained to Aunt Petunia through a mouthful of nails, "if they can't deliver, they'll just give up."**

"**I'm not sure that'll work, Vernon."**

'**Oh, these people's minds work in strange ways, Petunia, they're not like you and me,' said Uncle Vernon, trying to knock in a nail with the piece of fruit cake Aunt Petunia had just brought him.**

_"Thats it he's loosing his marbles" _Harry thought at the fact that his uncle was using a fruitcake instead of a hammer.

**On Friday, no fewer than twelve letters arrived for Harry. As they couldn't go through the letter-box they had been pushed under the door, slotted through the sides and a few even forced through the small window in the downstairs toilet.**

**Uncle Vernon stayed at home again.**

**After burning all the letters, he got out a hammer and nails and boarded up the cracks around the front and back doors so no one could go out. He hummed 'Tiptoe through the Tulips' as he worked, and jumped at small noises.**

_"That's weird and creepy"_ Harry thought shivering at the mental image along with wondering why his uncle was NOW using a hammer.

**On Saturday, things began to get out of hand. Twenty-four letters to Harry found their way into the house, rolled up and hidden inside each of the two dozen eggs that their very confused milkman had handed Aunt Petunia through the living-room window. While Uncle Vernon made furious telephone calls to the post office and the dairy trying to find someone to complain to, Aunt Petunia shredded the letters in her food mixer.**

"**Who on earth wants to talk to you this badly?" Dudley asked Harry in amazement.**

_"That's what I would like to know too?"_ He thought still puzzled.

**On Sunday morning, Uncle Vernon sat down at the breakfast table looking tired and rather ill, but happy.**

_"That's not good," _Harry worried at what could make his dreaded Uncle happy.

**"No post on Sunday's," he reminded them happily as he spread marmalade on his newspapers, "no damn letters today -"**

**Something came whizzing down the kitchen chimney as he spoke and caught him sharply on the back of the head. Next moment, thirty or forty letters came pelting out of the fireplace like bullets. The Dursleys ducked, but Harry leapt into the air trying to catch one –**

"**Out, OUT!" Uncle Vernon seized Harry around the waist and threw him into the hall.**

_"Ouch that's gonna bruise badly," _He thought.

**When Aunt Petunia and Dudley had run out with their arms over their faces, Uncle Vernon slammed the door shut. They could hear the letters still streaming into the room, bouncing off the walls and floor.**

**"That does it," said Uncle Vernon, trying to speak calmly but pulling great tufts out of his moustache at the same time. "I want you all back here in five minutes, ready to leave. We're going away. Just pack some clothes. No arguments!"**

**He looked so dangerous with half his moustache missing that no one dared argue. Ten minutes later they had wrenched their way through the boarded-up doors and were in the car, speeding towards the motorway. Dudley was sniffling in the back seat; his father had hit him round the head for holding them up while he tried to pack his television, video and computer in his sports bag.**

Harry smiled happily at his cousin getting punished for once other than him as usual.

**They drove. And they drove. Even Aunt Petunia didn't dare ask where they were going. Every now and then Uncle Vernon would take a sharp turning and drive in the opposite direction for a while.**

**"Shake 'em off ... shake 'em off," he would mutter whenever he did this.**

**They didn't stop to eat or drink all day.**

**By nightfall Dudley was howling.**

**He'd never had such a bad day in his life.**

_"Welcome to my life,"_ he thought.

**He was hungry, he'd missed five television programmes he'd wanted to see and he'd never gone so long without blowing up an alien on his computer.**

**Uncle Vernon stopped at last outside a gloomy-looking hotel on the outskirts of a big city. Dudley and Harry shared a room with twin beds and damp, musty sheets. Dudley snored but Harry stayed awake, sitting on the window-sill, staring down at the lights of passing cars and wondering...**

**They ate stale cornflakes and cold tinned tomatoes on toast for breakfast the next day. They had just finished when the owner of the hotel came over to their table.**

**''Scuse me, but is one of you Mr. H. Potter? Only I got about an 'undred of these at the front desk."**

**She held up a letter so they could read the green ink address:**

**_Mr. H. Potter_**

**_Room 17_**

**_Railview Hotel_**

**_Cokeworth_**

**Harry made a grab for the letter but Uncle Vernon knocked his hand out of the way. The woman stared.**

**"I'll take them," said Uncle Vernon quickly, standing up quickly and following her from the dining-room.**

**"Wouldn't it be better just to go home, dear?" Aunt Petunia suggested timidly, hours later, but Uncle Vernon didn't seem to hear her. Exactly what he was looking for, none of them knew. He drove them into the middle of a forest, got out, looked around, shook his head, got back in the car and off they went again.**

**The same thing happened in the middle of a ploughed field, halfway across a suspension bridge and at the top of a multi-storey car park.**

**"Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?" Dudley asked Aunt Petunia dully late the next afternoon.**

_"He was always mad" _Harry thought_ "He's just went even crazier than usual."_

**Uncle Vernon had parked at the coast, locked them all inside the car and disappeared.**

**It started to rain. Great drops beat on the roof of the car. Dudley snivelled.**

**"It's Tuesday," he told his mother.**

**"The Great Humberto's on tonight. I want to stay somewhere with a television."**

**Tuesday, this reminded Harry of something. If it was Monday -and you could usually count on Dudley to know the days of the week, because of television - then tomorrow, Wednesday, was Harry's eleventh birthday.**

_"That's a week already then,"_ He thought over how much had already happened to his book/future-self in an already eventful week._  
><em>

**Of course, his birthdays were never exactly fun -last year, the Dursleys had given him a coat-hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks.**

**Still, you weren't eleven every day.**

**Uncle Vernon was back and he was smiling.**

_"That's not good,"_ He thunk repeated his earlier thought.

**He was also carrying a long, thin package and didn't answer Aunt Petunia when she asked what he'd bought.**

**"****Found the perfect place!" he said. "Come on, everyone out!"**

**It was very cold outside the car. Uncle Vernon was pointing at what looked like a large rock way out to sea. Perched on top of the rock was the most miserable little shack you could imagine. One thing was certain there was no television in there.**

**"Storm forecast for tonight!" said Uncle Vernon gleefully, clapping his hands together. "And this gentleman's kindly agreed to lend us his boat!"**

**A toothless old man came ambling up to them, pointing, with a rather wicked ****grin, at an old rowing boat bobbing in the iron-grey water below them.**

**"I've already got us some rations," said Uncle Vernon, "so all aboard!"**

**It was freezing in the boat. Icy sea spray and rain crept down their necks and a chilly wind whipped their faces.**

**After what seemed like hours they reached the rock, where Uncle Vernon, slipping and sliding, led the way to the broken-down house.**

**The inside was horrible; it smelled strongly of seaweed, the wind whistled through the gaps in the wooden walls and the fire-place was damp and empty. There were only two rooms.**

**Uncle Vernon's rations turned out to be a packet of crisps each and four bananas.**

_"Well at least my book self will probably get some crisps but I think Dudley gets the fourth banana," _He thought.

**He tried to start a fire but the empty crisp packets just smoked and shrivelled up.**

**"Could do with some of those letters now eh?" he said cheerfully.**

**He was in a very good mood. Obviously he thought nobody stood a chance of reaching them here in a storm to deliver post.**

**Harry privately agreed, though the thought didn't cheer him up at all.**

**As night fell, the promised storm blew up around them pray from the high waves splattered the walls of the hut and a fierce wind rattled the filthy windows.**

**Aunt Petunia found a few mouldy blankets in the second room and made up a bed for Dudley on the moth-eaten sofa. She and Uncle Vernon went off to the lumpy bed next door and Harry was left to find the softest bit of floor he could find and to curl up under the thinnest, most ragged blanket.**

_"Why am I not surprised,"_ He thought to himself at the usual status quo he was normally given by his relatives.

**The storm raged more and more ferociously as the night went on. Harry couldn't sleep. He shivered and turned over, trying to get comfortable, his stomach rumbling with hunger.**

**Dudley's snores were drowned by the low rolls of thunder that started near midnight.**

**The lighted dial of Dudley's watch, which was dangling over the edge of the sofa on his fat wrist, told Harry he'd be eleven in ten minutes' time.**

**He lay and watched his birthday tick nearer, wondering if the Dursleys would remember at all, wondering where the letter writer was now.**

**Five minutes to go. Harry heard something creak outside. He hoped the roof wasn't going to fall in, although he might be warmer if he did.**

**Four minutes to go. Maybe the house in Privet Drive would be so full of letters when they got back that he'd be able to steal one somehow.**

**Three minutes to go. Was that he sea, slapping hard on the rock like that?**

**And (two minutes to go) what was that funny crunching noise? Was the rock crumbling into the sea?**

**One minute to go and he'd be eleven. Thirty secconds ... twenty ... ten - nine - maybe he'd wake Dudley up , just to annoy him - three - two - one -**

**BOOM.**

**The whole shack shivered and Harry sat bolt upright, staring at the door. Someone was outside, knocking to come in.**

_"Who is it?"_ He wondered as he turned the page to continue with his reading.

* * *

><p>Hope that you enjoyed my edits of his chapter and will try to continue as quick as I can but personal life may interrupt me in my story making and building.<p>

Please Review and give your comments on how to improve this and my other fics.


	5. Chapter 5

Flamel's and the Stone: Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone, and this chapter continues with Harry reading the mysterious book.

FYI: This chapter has been edited for mistakes and missed errors that I had not noticed or have been unable to fix till now also I now have my Laptop fixed so I can NOW return to creating, editing stories/chapters of my fics.

**Text of this Story - For The Moment**

Non Bold Text: Reactions and actions of Character/s (Just Harry at the moment) reading book.

_Italic Text: Thoughts of Character reading Book._

**Bold Text: Text and words of Book.  
><strong>

_**Bold Italic: Text used in Letters and Information shown in Book that is read by Characters of said Book along specific words spoken by characters in book. **_

Underlined text: Locations of where Characters and story are positioned and titles of Different Chapters.

_Italic Underlined Text: Notes and Information written down by People reading Books._

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><p><strong>The Keeper of the Keys<strong>

_"I wonder who that is,_" Harry thought in curiosity as he continued reading.

**BOOM**

**They knocked again. Dudley jerked awake.**

**"Where's the cannon?" he said stupidly.**

**There was a crash behind them and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands – now they knew what had been in the long, thin package he had brought with them.**

_"That's what Uncle Vernon brought with him," _Harry thought with extreme alarm.

**"Who's there?" he shouted. "I warn you — I'm armed!"**

**There was a pause. Then —**

**SMASH!**

**The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor.**

**A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.**

_"Could it be Hagrid?" _Harry pondered, as the small clues and information gathered from this and the first chapter of the book gave strong evidence as to who it was he was reading about at the moment.

**The giant squeezed his way into the hut, stooping so that his head just brushed the ceiling. He bent down, picked up the door, and fitted it easily back into its frame. The noise of the storm outside dropped a little. He turned to look at them all.**

**"Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh?"**

_"What kind of tea, and how could we make any with the actual lack of teabags?"_ Harry wondered at the strange question.

**"It's not been an easy journey…"**

**He strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear.**

**"Budge up, yeh great lump," said the stranger.**

Harry smiled in great amusement, knowing that Dudley is huge for his actual age.

**Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother, who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.**

**"An' here's Harry!" said the giant.**

**Harry looked up into the fierce, wild, shadowy face and saw that the beetle eyes were crinkled in a smile.**

**"Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby," said the giant. "Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mom's eyes."**

_"What colour were my Dad's eyes?" _"And what did my Mum look like, other than her eyes?" __Harry thoughtwith pondering sadness at never knowing what his parents looked like.

**Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise.**

**"I demand that you leave at once, sir!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!"**

**"Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune," said the giant;**

_"You tell him, Hagrid." _Harry thought cheering in his head.

**he reached over the back of the sofa, jerked the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and threw it into a corner of the room.**

_"That's amazing,"_ Harry thought in wonder at the strength of this man.

**Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on.**

**"Anyway — Harry," said the giant, turning his back on the Dursleys, "a very happy birthday to yeh.**

_"He remembered my birthday,"_ Harry thought with shock and great appreciation as a small wet tear fell from his face, luckily missing the book of which made him wipe his eyes and face and return to reading the book.

**Got summat fer yeh here — I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right."**

**From an inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box. Harry opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with Happy Birthday Harry written on it in green icing.**

"Thank you Hagrid," Harry whispered quietly so that his relatives did not hear him.

**Harry looked up at the giant. He meant to say thank you, but the words got lost on the way to his mouth, and what he said instead was, "Who are you?'**

**The giant chuckled.**

**"True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."**

**He held out an enormous hand and shook Harry's whole arm.**

**"What about that tea then, eh?" he said, rubbing his hands together.**

**"I'd not say no, ter summat stronger if yeh've got it, mind."**

**His eyes fell on the empty grate with the shrivelled chip bags in it and he snorted. He bent down over the fireplace; they couldn't see what he was doing but when he drew back a second later, there was a roaring fire there. It filled the whole damp hut with flickering light and Harry felt the warmth wash over him as though he'd sunk into a hot bath.**

"Wow,"Harry spoke in quiet amazement at such a thing happening as he imagined this occurring in front of his book-self

**The giant sat back down on the sofa, which sagged under his weight, and began taking all sorts of things out of the pockets of his coat: a copper kettle, a squashy package of sausages, a poker, a teapot, several chipped mugs, and a bottle of some amber liquid that he took a swig from before starting to make tea.**

_"That's a lot of stuff in his pockets," _Harry thought with still stunned amazement .

**Soon the hut was full of the sound and smell of sizzling sausage. Nobody said a thing while the giant was working, but as he slid the first six fat, juicy, slightly burnt sausages from the poker, Dudley fidgeted a little. Uncle Vernon said sharply, "Don't touch anything he gives you, Dudley."**

**The giant chuckled darkly.**

**"Yer great puddin' of a son don' need fattenin' anymore Dursley don' worry."**

Harry smiled knowing that Hagrid was right about his cousin not needing to be enlarged anymore than he was already.

**He passed the sausages to Harry,**

"He's letting me eat," Harry whispered in awe at such kindness given to him as he remembers having to beg or do slave like labour to be allowed to even eat a small morsel of food from his relatives.

**who was so hungry he had never tasted anything so wonderful, but he still couldn't take his eyes off the giant. Finally, as nobody seemed about to explain anything, he said, "I'm sorry, but I still don't really know who you are."**

**The giant took a gulp of tea and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.**

**"Call me Hagrid," he said, "everyone does. An' like I told yeh, I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts — yeh'll know all about Hogwarts, o' course."**

_"No,"_ Harry thought to himself.

**"Er — no," said Harry.**

**Hagrid looked shocked.**

**'Sorry," Harry said quickly.**

**_"Sorry?"_ barked Hagrid, turning to stare at the Dursleys, who shrank back into the shadows. "It's them as should be sorry!**

_"That's weird,"_ Harry thought _"It's usually my fault a lot of things happen to me of my relatives."_

**I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yer parents learned it all?"**

**'All what?" asked, Harry.**

**"ALL WHAT?" Hagrid thundered.**

**"Now wait jus' one second!"**

**He had leapt to his feet. In his anger he seemed to fill the whole hut. The Dursleys were cowering against the wall.**

**"Do you mean ter tell me," he growled at the Dursleys, "that this boy — this boy! — knows nothin' abou' — about ANYTHING?"**

_"I'm going to think that he went too far." _Harry guessed at his book-self's probable reaction to being spoken about like that.

**Harry thought this was going a bit far. He had been to school, after all, and his marks weren't bad.**

_"I was right,"_ Harry nodded at his guess being proven correct.

**"I know _some_ things," he said. "I can, you know, do math and stuff."**

**But Hagrid simply waved his hand and said, "About _our_ world, I mean. Your world. _My_ world. _Yer parents' world."_**

**"What world?"**

**Hagrid looked as if he was about to explode.**

**"DURSLEY!" he boomed.**

**Uncle Vernon, who had gone very pale, whispered something that sounded like "Mimblewimble." Hagrid stared wildly at Harry. "But yeh must know about yer mum and dad," he said. "I mean, they're _famous._ You're famous."**

_"I don't want to be famous for my parents being murdered."_ Harry thought with sadness.

**"What? My — my mum and dad weren't famous, were they?"**

**"Yeh don' know… yeh don' know…" Hagrid ran his fingers through his hair, fixing Harry with a bewildered stare.**

**"Yeh don' know what yeh are?" he said finally.**

**Uncle Vernon suddenly found his voice.**

**"Stop!" he commanded. "Stop right there, sir! I forbid you to tell the boy anything!"**

**A braver man than Vernon Dursley would have quailed under the furious look Hagrid now gave him; when Hagrid spoke, his every syllable trembled with rage.**

**"You never told him? Never told him what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer him? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An' you've kept it from him all these years?"**

_"Yes,"_ Harry thought with anger and relief at the possible information hidden in that letter for him by his relatives and especially his uncle _"You did."_

**"Kept _what_ from me?" said Harry eagerly.**

**"STOP! I FORBID YOU!" yelled Uncle Vernon in panic.**

**Aunt Petunia gave a gasp of horror.**

**"Ah, go boil yer heads, both of yeh," said Hagrid. "Harry — yer a wizard."**

"So that's what I'm called," Harry whispered in realization at what kind of person he is.

**There was silence inside the hut. Only the sea and the whistling wind could be heard.**

**"I'm a _what?"_ gasped Harry.**

**"A wizard, o' course,' said Hagrid, sitting back down on the sofa, which groaned and sank even lower, 'an' a thumpin' good 'un, I'd say, once yeh've been trained up a bit. With a mum an' dad like yours, what else would yeh be? An' I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yer letter.'**

**Harry stretched out his hand at last to take the yellowish envelope, addressed in emerald green to _Mr. H. Potter, The Floor, Hut-on-the-Rock, The Sea._ He pulled out the letter and read:**

_**HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY**_

_"So that's Hogwarts full name." _Harry thoughtfully nodded in acceptance at the title of the school he may be going to.

_**Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore**_

_**(Order of Merlin, **__**First Class, Grand Sorc, Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)**_

_"Ask what Order of Merlin First Class, Grand Sorc, Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, and International Confed. of Wizards all means."_ Harry wrote down to ask someone later when he went to Hogwarts.

_**Dear Mr. Potter,**_

_**We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.**_

_**Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.**_

_"I wonder what stuff I need for this school?" _Harry pondered.

_**Term begins on September 1. We await your owl **__**by no later than July 31.**_

_**Yours sincerely,**_

_**Minerva McGonagall,**_

_"That's the woman who can turn into a cat,"_ Harry thought.

_**Deputy Headmistress**_

**Questions exploded inside Harry's head like fireworks and he couldn't decide which to ask first. After a few minutes he stammered, "What does it mean, they await my owl?"**

**"Gallopin' Gorgons, that reminds me," said Hagrid, clapping a hand to his forehead with enough force to knock over a cart horse, and from yet another pocket inside his overcoat he pulled an owl — a real, live, rather ruffled-looking owl — a long quill, and a roll of parchment. With his tongue between his teeth he scribbled a note that Harry could read upside down:**

_**Dear Mr Dumbledore,**_

_**Given Harry his letter.**_

_**Taking him to buy his things tomorrow.**_

_**Weather's horrible. Hope you're well.**_

_**Hagrid**_

**Hagrid rolled up the note, gave it to the owl, which clamped it in its beak, went to the door, and threw the owl out into the storm. Then he came back and sat down as though this was as normal as talking on the telephone.**

_"So that is how they communicate,"_ Harry said quietly with surprise but then remembered the first chapter with all of those owls flying about with letters in their beak or claws.

**Harry realized his mouth was open and closed it quickly.**

**"Where was I?" said Hagrid, but at that moment, Uncle Vernon, still ashen-faced but looking very angry, moved into the firelight.**

**"He's not going," he said.**

**Hagrid grunted.**

**"I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop him," he said.**

_"That word was in the first chapter,"_ Harry thought with surprise felt further surprised at the information he found as he kept reading.

**"A what?" said Harry, interested.**

**"A Muggle," said Hagrid, "it's what we call nonmagic folk like them.**

**An' it's your bad luck you grew up in a family o' the biggest Muggles I ever laid eyes on."**

_"That's for sure,"_ Harry thought nodding in agreement with Hagrid but then paused adding thoughtfully _"Except maybe Aunt Petunia."_

**"We swore when we took him in we'd put a stop to that rubbish," said Uncle Vernon, "swore we'd stamp it out of him! Wizard indeed!"**

"He knows that I'm a wizard" Harry said in quiet wide eyed shock.

**"You _knew?"_ said Harry. "You _knew_ I'm a — a wizard?"**

**"Knew!" shrieked Aunt Petunia suddenly. _"Knew!_ Of course we knew!**

_"She knew I was a wizard all this time,"_ Harry thought wide eyed and shocked which gave way to anger _"And she never said anything!"_.

**How could you not be, my dratted sister**

_"My Mum isn't dratted!"_ Harry hissed in his mind.

**being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that — that _school_ — and came home every vacation with her pockets full of frog spawn, turning teacups into rats.**

**I was the only one who saw her for what she was — a freak!**

_"So that's where Aunt Petunia came up with that idea,"_ Harry thought with not so much surprise but annoyance at his aunt talking so badly about her sister and his mother.

**But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud of having a witch in the family!"**

_"I wonder if my grandma and grandpa would proud of having their grandson as a wizard,"_ Harry pondered as another thought came to him _"Are they even alive by now?"_

**She stopped to draw a deep breath and then went ranting on. It seemed she had been wanting to say all this for years.**

**"Then she met that Potter at school and they left and got married and had you, and of course I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange, just as — as — _abnormal_ — and then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!"**

_"Murdered and blown up are not the same you idiot,"_ Harry hissed in his mind.

**Harry had gone very white. As soon as he found his voice he said, "Blown up? You told me they died in a car crash!"**

**"CAR CRASH!" roared Hagrid, jumping up so angrily that the Dursleys scuttled back to their corner. "How could a car crash kill Lily an' James Potter? It's an outrage! A scandal! Harry Potter not knowin' his own story when every kid in our world knows his name!"**

**"But why? What happened?" Harry asked urgently.**

_"Yeah,"_ Harry thought _"I'd like to know the whole story."_

**The anger faded from Hagrid's face. He looked suddenly anxious.**

**"I never expected this,' he said, in a low, worried voice. 'I had no idea, when Dumbledore told me there might be trouble gettin' hold of yeh, how much yeh didn't know. Ah, Harry, I don' know if I'm the right person ter tell yeh — but someone's gotta — yeh can't go off ter Hogwarts not knowin'."**

Harry shuddered at the thought of him going to Hogwarts with no knowledge of his fame.

**He threw a dirty look at the Dursleys.**

**"Well, it's best yeh know as much as I can tell yeh — mind, I can't tell yeh everythin', it's a great myst'ry, parts of it…"**

**He sat down, stared into the fire for a few seconds, and then said, "It begins, I suppose, with — with a person called — but it's incredible yeh don't know his name, everyone in our world knows —"**

**"Who?"**

"Voldemort" Harry said with slight venom, yet kept quiet.

**"Well — I don' like sayin' the name if I can help it. No one does."**

**"Why not?"**

**"Gulpin' gargoyles, Harry, people are still scared. Blimey, this is difficult. See, there was this wizard who went… bad. As bad as you could go. Worse. Worse than worse. His name was…"**

**Hagrid gulped, but no words came out.**

**"Could you write it down?" Harry suggested.**

**"Nah — can't spell it. All right — _Voldemort. "_**

**Hagrid shuddered. 'Don' make me say it again."**

**"Anyway, this — this wizard, about twenty years ago now, started lookin' fer followers. Got 'em, too —**

_"I wonder what they are called,"_ Harry thought with curiosity.

**some were afraid, some just wanted a bit o' his power, 'cause he was gettin' himself power, all right. Dark days, Harry. Didn't know who ter trust, didn't dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches… terrible things happened. He was takin' over. 'Course, some stood up to him — an' he killed 'em. Horribly. One o' the only safe places left was Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of.**

_"That's what Professor McGonagall said too,"_ Harry thought with surprise.

**Didn't dare try takin' the, school not jus' then anyway."**

**"Now, yer mum an' dad were as good a witch an' wizard as I ever knew. Head boy an' girl at Hogwarts in their day!**

"Good job Mum and Dad," Harry whispered; feeling great honour at his parents achievement.

**Suppose the myst'ry is why You-Know-Who never tried to get 'em on his side before… probably knew they were too close ter Dumbledore ter want anythin' ter do with the Dark Side."**

**"Maybe he thought he could persuade 'em… maybe he just wanted 'em outta the way. All anyone knows is, he turned up in the village where you was all living, on Halloween ten years ago. You was just a year old. He came ter yer house an' — an' —"**

**Hagrid suddenly pulled out a very dirty, spotted handkerchief and blew his nose with a sound like a foghorn.**

**"Sorry," he said. "But it's that sad — knew yer mum an' dad, an' nicer people yeh couldn't find — anywa…**

**"You-Know-Who killed 'em. An' then — an' this is the real myst'ry of the thing — he tried to kill you, too. Wanted ter make a clean job of it, I suppose, or maybe he just liked killin' by then. But he couldn't do it.**

**Never wondered how you got that mark on yer forehead?**

_"I just assumed that it was from the car crash Mom and Dad supposedly were in,"_ Harry thought with realisation at the confirmed truth of his parents real deaths.

**That was no ordinary cut. That's what yeh get when a powerful, evil curse touches yeh — took care of yer mum an' dad an' yer house, even — but it didn't work on you, an' that's why yer famous, Harry.**

_"I don't want to be though."_ Harry thought with agitation

**No one ever lived after he decided ter kill 'em, no one except you, an' he'd killed some o' the best witches an' wizards of the age — the McKinnons, ****the Bones, ****the Prewetts **— **an' you was only a baby, an' you lived."**

Harry made a note to look up and find more about any surviving members of those families.

**Something very painful was going on in Harry's mind. As Hagrid's story came to a close, he saw again the blinding flash of green light, more clearly than he had ever remembered it before — and he remembered something else, for the first time in his life: a high, cold, cruel laugh.**

Harry shivered in remembrance at his revaluation in the first chapter of this book.

**Hagrid was watching him sadly.**

**"Took yeh from the ruined house myself, on Dumbledore's orders. Brought yeh ter this lot…"**

**"Load of old tosh," said Uncle Vernon.**

_"Shut up,"_ Harry hissed in his mind.

**Harry jumped; he had almost forgotten that the Dursleys were there. Uncle Vernon certainly seemed to have got back his courage. He was glaring at Hagrid and his fists were clenched.**

**"Now, you listen here, boy," he snarled, "I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured**

_"And yet you never beat me,"_ Harry thought with anger _"But instead you and your wife abused me in other ways along with your fat son."_

— **and as for all this about your parents, well, they were weirdoes, no denying it, and the world's better off without them in my opinion **— **asked for all they got, getting mixed up with these wizarding types — just what I expected, always knew they'd come to a sticky end -"**

_"Shut up you Fat Walrus!"_ Harry hissed yet again in his mind.

**But at that moment, Hagrid leapt from the sofa and drew a battered pink umbrella from inside his coat.**

**Pointing this at Uncle Vernon like a sword, he said, "I'm warning you, Dursley — I'm warning you — one more word…"**

"Thank you for sticking up for me," Harry whispered quietly in gratitude of Hagrid's actions.

**In danger of being speared on the end of an umbrella by a bearded giant, Uncle Vernon's courage failed again; he flattened himself against the wall and fell silent.**

**"That's better," said Hagrid, breathing heavily and sitting back down on the sofa, which this time sagged right down to the floor.**

**Harry, meanwhile, still had questions to ask, hundreds of them.**

**"But what happened to Vol-, sorry — I mean, You-Know-Who?"**

**"Good question, Harry. Disappeared. Vanished. Same night he tried ter kill you. Makes yeh even more famous. That's the biggest myst'ry, see… he was gettin' more an' more powerful — why'd he go?"**

**"Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die.**

_"So he could be still living," _Harry thought with great fear and apprehension.

**Some say he's still out there, bidin' his time, like, but I don' believe it. People who was on his side came back ter ours. Some of 'em came outta kinda trances. Don' reckon they could've done if he was comin' back."**

**"Most of us reckon he's still out there somewhere but lost his powers. Too weak to carry on. 'Cause somethin' about you finished him, Harry. There was somethin' goin' on that night he hadn't counted on — _I_ dunno what it was, no one does — but somethin' about you stumped him, all right."**

_"I wonder what that was?"_ Harry thought with great curiosity .

**Hagrid looked at Harry with warmth and respect blazing in his eyes, but Harry, instead of feeling pleased and proud, felt quite sure there had been a horrible mistake.**

**A wizard? Him? How could he possibly be? He'd spent his life being clouted by Dudley, and bullied by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon; if he was really a wizard, why hadn't they been turned into warty toads every time they'd tried to lock him in his cupboard? If he'd once defeated the greatest sorcerer in the world, how come Dudley had always been able to kick him around like a football?**

**"Hagrid," he said quietly, "I think you must have made a mistake. I don't think I can be a wizard."**

**To his surprise, Hagrid chuckled.**

**"Not a wizard, eh? Never made things happen when you was scared or angry?"**

**Harry looked into the fire. Now he came to think about it… every odd thing that had ever made his aunt and uncle furious with him had happened when he, Harry, had been upset or angry… chased by Dudley's gang, he had somehow found himself out of their reach… dreading going to school with that ridiculous haircut, he'd managed to make it grow back… and the very last time Dudley had hit him, hadn't he got his revenge, without even realizing he was doing it? Hadn't he set a boa constrictor on him?**

**Harry looked back at Hagrid, smiling, and saw that Hagrid was positively beaming at him.**

**"See?" said Hagrid. 'Harry Potter, not a wizard — you wait, you'll be right famous at Hogwarts."**

_"I don't want to be famous,"_ Harry thought with exasperation and sadness _"I just want to be me."_

**But Uncle Vernon wasn't going to give in without a fight.**

**'Haven't I told you he's not going?' he hissed. 'He's going to Stonewall High and he'll be grateful for it. I've read those letters and he needs all sorts of rubbish — spell books and wands and —'**

**"If he wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop him," growled Hagrid. "Stop Lily an' James Potter's son goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. His name's been down ever since he was born.**

How can my name be on the list for Hogwarts ever since I was born? Harry wrote down.

**He's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world.**

_'Where is the school exactly?'_ Harry wrote down.

**Seven years there**

I'll be seventeen when I'm finished Harry thought and wrote what age are you when you're an adult.

**and he won't know himself. He'll be with youngsters of his own sort,**

_"I'll be able to make friends without having to worry about Dudley and his gang beating them up"_ he thought with joy.

**fer a change, an' he'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had, Albus Dumbled—"**

**"I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled Uncle Vernon.**

**But he had finally gone too far. Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled it over his head, "NEVER —" he thundered, "— INSULT — ALBUS — DUMBLEDORE — IN — FRONT — OF — ME!" He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley — there was a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal, and the next second, Dudley was dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom, howling in pain. When he turned his back on them, Harry saw a curly pig's tail poking through a hole in his trousers.**

Harry laughed silently at the image that the book portrayed of his cousin with a pig's tail attached the tubby boy's end.

**Uncle Vernon roared. Pulling Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Hagrid and slammed the door behind them.**

**Hagrid looked down at his umbrella and stroked his beard.**

**"Shouldn'ta lost me temper," he said ruefully, "but it didn't work anyway. Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do."**

_"True,"_ Harry thought as his body shook with himself trying to suppress laughing out loud.

**He cast a sideways look at Harry under his bushy eyebrows.**

**"Be grateful if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts," he said. "I'm — er — not supposed ter do magic, strictly speakin'. I was allowed ter do a bit ter follow yeh an' get yer letters to yeh an' stuff — one o' the reasons I was so keen ter take on the job."**

**"Why aren't you supposed to do magic?" asked Harry.**

**"Oh, well — I was at Hogwarts meself but I — er — got expelled, ter tell yeh the truth. In me third year. They snapped me wand in half an' everything. But Dumbledore let me stay on as gamekeeper. Great man, Dumbledore."**

**"Why were you expelled?"**

**"It's gettin' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow," said Hagrid loudly.**

_'Don't ask Hagrid about why he was expelled because he'll change the subject on you,'_ Harry wrote down.

**"Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that."**

_"London?"_ Harry thought, _"I've never been there before."_

**He took off his thick black coat and threw it to Harry.**

**"You can kip under that," he said. "Don' mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' doormice in one o' the pockets."**

Harry turned the page in excitement to continue reading.

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><p><strong>Please Review and comment on my small changes that I have made to this chapter and other recent ones.<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone

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><p><strong>Diagon Alley<strong>

I've never heard of such an alley Harry thought.

**Harry woke early the next morning. Although he could tell it was daylight, he kept his eyes shut tight.**

**It was a dream, he told himself firmly. I dreamed a giant called Hagrid came to tell me I was going to a school for wizards. When I open my eyes I'll be at home in my cupboard.**

**There was suddenly a loud tapping noise.**

**And there's Aunt Petunia knocking on the door, Harry thought, his heart sinking.**

**But he still didn't open his eyes. It had been such a good dream.**

**Tap. Tap. Tap.**

**'All right,' Harry mumbled, 'I'm getting up.'**

**He sat up and Hagrid's heavy coat fell off him.**

'It wasn't a dream,' Harry whispered.

**The hut was full of sunlight, the storm was over, Hagrid himself was asleep on the collapsed sofa, and there was an owl rapping its claw on the window, a newspaper held in its beak.**

What kind of newspaper?

**Harry scrambled to his feet, so happy he felt as though a large balloon was swelling inside him. He went straight to the window and jerked it open.**

**The owl swooped in and dropped the newspaper on top of Hagrid, who didn't wake up. The owl then fluttered onto the floor and began to attack Hagrid's coat.**

Why is it doing that?

**'Don't do that.'**

**Harry tried to wave the owl out of the way, but it snapped its beak fiercely at him and carried on savaging the coat.**

**'Hagrid!' said Harry loudly. 'There's an owl —'**

**'Pay him,' Hagrid grunted into the sofa.**

Why?

**'What?'**

**'He wants payin' fer deliverin' the paper.**

That's why.

**Look in the pockets.'**

**Hagrid's coat seemed to be made of nothing but pockets — bunches of keys, slug pellets, balls of string, peppermint humbugs, teabags… finally, Harry pulled out a handful of strange-looking coins.**

**'Give him five Knuts,' said Hagrid sleepily.**

**'Knuts?'**

**'The little bronze ones.'**

He wants to give me a chance at learning magical money.

**Harry counted out five little bronze coins, and the owl held out his leg so Harry could put the money into a small leather pouch tied to it.**

Pay an owl with five little bronze coins called Knuts Harry wrote.

**Then he flew off through the open window.**

**Hagrid yawned loudly, sat up, and stretched.**

**'Best be off, Harry, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London an' buy all yer stuff fer school.'**

I figured it would be London but I wasn't sure.

**Harry was turning over the wizard coins and looking at them. He had just thought of something that made him feel as though the happy balloon inside him had got a puncture.**

Yeah Harry thought how am I going to pay for my wizarding education?

**'Um — Hagrid?'**

**'Mm?' said Hagrid, who was pulling on his huge boots.**

**'I haven't got any money — and you heard Uncle Vernon last night… he won't pay for me to go and learn magic.'**

**'Don't worry about that,' said Hagrid, standing up and scratching his head. 'D'yeh think yer parents didn't leave yeh anything?'**

**'But if their house was destroyed —'**

**'They didn' keep their gold in the house, boy!**

Now he sound like Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia Harry thought wincing.

**Nah, first stop fer us is Gringotts. Wizards' bank.**

Gringotts is a strange name for a bank.

**Have a sausage, they're not bad cold — an' I wouldn' say no teh a bit o' yer birthday cake, neither.'**

**'Wizards have banks?'**

**'Just the one. Gringotts. Run by goblins.'**

Goblins Harry thought wide eyed.

**Harry dropped the bit of sausage he was holding.**

**'Goblins?'**

**'Yeah — so yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it, I'll tell yeh that. Never mess with goblins, Harry.**

Never mess with goblins Harry wrote down.

**Gringotts is the safest place in the world fer anything yeh want ter keep safe — 'cept maybe Hogwarts. As a matter o' fact, I gotta visit Gringotts anyway. Fer Dumbledore. Hogwarts business.' Hagrid drew himself up proudly.**

What for Harry wondered.

**'He usually gets me ter do important stuff fer him. Fetchin' you — gettin' things from Gringotts — knows he can trust me, see.'**

**'Got everythin'? Come on, then.' Harry followed Hagrid out onto the rock. The sky was quite clear now and the sea gleamed in the sunlight. The boat Uncle Vernon had hired was still there, with a lot of water in the bottom after the storm.**

**'How did you get here?' Harry asked, looking around for another boat.**

**'Flew,' said Hagrid.**

What did you flew on Harry wrote.

**'Flew?'**

**'Yeah — but we'll go back in this. Not s'pposed ter use magic now I've got yeh.'**

**They settled down in the boat, Harry still staring at Hagrid, trying to imagine him flying.**

**'Seems a shame ter row, though,' said Hagrid, giving Harry another of his sideways looks. 'If I was ter — er — speed things up a bit, would yeh mind not mentionin' it at Hogwarts?'**

**'Of course not,' said Harry, eager to see more magic. Hagrid pulled out the pink umbrella again, tapped it twice on the side of the boat, and they sped off toward land.**

**'Why would you be mad to try and rob Gringotts?' Harry asked.**

**'Spells — enchantments,' said Hagrid, unfolding his newspaper as he spoke. 'They say there's dragons guardin' the high security vaults. And then yeh gotta find yer way — Gringotts is hundreds of miles under London, see. Deep under the Underground. Yeh'd die of hunger tryin' ter get out, even if yeh did manage ter get yer hands on summat.'**

**Harry sat and thought about this while Hagrid read his newspaper, the Daily Prophet.**

The Daily Prophet is a magical newspaper.

**Harry had learned from Uncle Vernon that people liked to be left alone while they did this, but it was very difficult, he'd never had so many questions in his life.**

**'Ministry o' Magic messin' things up as usual,' Hagrid muttered, turning the page.**

**'There's a Ministry of Magic?' Harry asked, before he could stop himself.**

**''Course,' said Hagrid.**

Hagrid doesn't mind questions when he reads the newspaper Harry wrote.

**'They wanted Dumbledore fer Minister, o' course, but he'd never leave Hogwarts, so old Cornelius Fudge got the job. Bungler if ever there was one. So he pelts Dumbledore with owls every morning, askin' fer advice.'**

Why is Fudge the minister then, Harry wrote down.

**'But what does a Ministry of Magic do?'**

**'Well, their main job is to keep it from the Muggles that there's still witches an' wizards up an' down the country.'**

**'Why?'**

**'Why? Blimey, Harry, everyone'd be wantin' magic solutions to their problems.**

Not Aunt Petunia or Uncle Vernon.

**Nah, we're best left alone.'**

**At this moment the boat bumped gently into the harbor wall. Hagrid folded up his newspaper, and they clambered up the stone steps onto the street.**

**Passersby stared a lot at Hagrid as they walked through the little town to the station. Harry couldn't blame them. Not only was Hagrid twice as tall as anyone else, he kept pointing at perfectly ordinary things like parking meters and saying loudly, 'See that, Harry? Things these Muggles dream up, eh?'**

Tell Hagrid not to say Muggles in a street full of them Harry wrote.

**'Hagrid,' said Harry, panting a bit as he ran to keep up, 'did you say there are dragons at Gringotts?'**

**'Well, so they say,' said Hagrid. 'Crikey, I'd like a dragon.'**

Why Harry thought.

**'You'd like one?'**

**'Wanted one ever since I was a kid — here we go.'**

**They had reached the station. There was a train to London in five minutes' time. Hagrid, who didn't understand 'Muggle money,' as he called it, gave the bills to Harry so he could buy their tickets.**

**People stared more than ever on the train. Hagrid took up two seats and sat knitting what looked like a canary-yellow circus tent.**

Ask what Hagrid is knitting Harry wrote.

**'Still got yer letter, Harry?' he asked as he counted stitches.**

**Harry took the parchment envelope out of his pocket.**

**'Good,' said Hagrid. 'There's a list there of everything yeh need.'**

**Harry unfolded a second piece of paper he hadn't noticed the night before, and read:**

**HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY**

**UNIFORM**

I didn't think we needed a uniform for school.

**First-year students will require:**

**1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)**

**2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear**

**3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)**

Dragon hide or similar Harry wondered.

**4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)**

**Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags**

My name tags will be Harry J. Potter Harry wrote.

**COURSE BOOKS**

**All students should have a copy of each of the following:**

**The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk**

**A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot**

**Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling**

**A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch**

**One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore**

**Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger**

**Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander**

**The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble**

I wonder how many courses we have.

**OTHER EQUIPMENT**

**1 roll of parchment**

**100 quills**

**1 bottle of ink**

Writing utensils I guess.

**1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)**

**1 set of glass or crystal phials**

**1 telescope set**

**1 brass scales**

**Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad**

We are aloud an animal at school Harry wrote.

**PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS**

Do we fly on a broomstick? Harry wrote.

**'Can we buy all this in London?' Harry wondered aloud.**

**'If yeh know where to go,' said Hagrid.**

**Harry had never been to London before. Although Hagrid seemed to know where he was going, he was obviously not used to getting there in an ordinary way. He got stuck in the ticket barrier on the Underground, and complained loudly that the seats were too small and the trains too slow.**

**'I don't know how the Muggles manage without magic,' he said as they climbed a broken-down escalator that led up to a bustling road lined with shops.**

Show Hagrid the proper way how to use an escalator Harry wrote.

**Hagrid was so huge that he parted the crowd easily; all Harry had to do was keep close behind him. They passed book shops and music stores, hamburger restaurants and cinemas, but nowhere that looked as if it could sell you a magic wand. This was just an ordinary street full of ordinary people. Could there really be piles of wizard gold buried miles beneath them? Were there really shops that sold spell books and broomsticks? Might this not all be some huge joke that the Dursleys had cooked up?**

Of course not they have no sense of humour.

**If Harry hadn't known that the Dursleys had no sense of humour, he might have thought so; yet somehow, even though everything Hagrid had told him so far was unbelievable, Harry couldn't help trusting him.**

**'This is it,' said Hagrid, coming to a halt, 'the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place.'**

**It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. If Hagrid hadn't pointed it out, Harry wouldn't have noticed it was there. The people hurrying by didn't glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big book shop on one side to the record shop on the other as if they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all. In fact, Harry had the most peculiar feeling that only he and Hagrid could see it.**

**Before he could mention this, Hagrid had steered him inside.**

**For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby. A few old women were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old bartender, who was quite bald and looked like a toothless walnut. The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in.**

That doesn't seem like a famous place Harry thought.

**Everyone seemed to know Hagrid; they waved and smiled at him, and the bartender reached for a glass, saying, 'The usual, Hagrid?'**

**'Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business,' said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Harry's shoulder and making Harry's knees buckle.**

**'Good Lord,' said the bartender, peering at Harry, 'is this — can this be —?'**

**The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent.**

**'Bless my soul,' whispered the old bartender, 'Harry Potter… what an honour.'**

**He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed toward Harry and seized his hand, tears in his eyes.**

**'Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back.'**

**Harry didn't know what to say. Everyone was looking at him. The old woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realizing it had gone out. Hagrid was beaming.**

**Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, Harry found himself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron.**

**'Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last.'**

**'So proud, Mr. Potter, I'm just so proud.'**

**'Always wanted to shake your hand — I'm all of a flutter.'**

**'Delighted, Mr. Potter, just can't tell you, Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle.'**

**'I've seen you before!' said Harry, as Dedalus Diggle's top hat fell off in his excitement. 'You bowed to me once in a shop.'**

**'He remembers!' cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone. 'Did you hear that? He remembers me!' Harry shook hands again and again — Doris Crockford kept coming back for more.**

**A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes was twitching.**

**'Professor Quirrell!' said Hagrid. 'Harry, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts.'**

**'P-P-Potter,' stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Harry's hand, 'c-can't t-tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you.'**

I don't like his stammering Harry said.

**'What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?'**

**'D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts,' muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it.**

**'N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter?' He laughed nervously. 'You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself.' He looked terrified at the very thought.**

Vampires are real?

**But the others wouldn't let Professor Quirrell keep Harry to himself. It took almost ten minutes to get away from them all. At last, Hagrid managed to make himself heard over the babble.**

**'Must get on — lots ter buy. Come on, Harry.'**

**Doris Crockford shook Harry's hand one last time, and Hagrid led them through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds.**

Once in the Leaky Cauldron go through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard to wait for Hagrid Harry wrote.

**Hagrid grinned at Harry.**

**'Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was famous. Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh — mind you, he's usually tremblin'.'**

**'Is he always that nervous?'**

**'Oh, yeah. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some firsthand experience… They say he met vampires in the Black Forest, and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag —**

What is a hag? Harry wrote down.

**never been the same since. Scared of the students, scared of his own subject — now, where's me umbrella?'**

**Vampires? Hags? Harry's head was swimming. Hagrid, meanwhile, was counting bricks in the wall above the trash can.**

**'Three up… two across…' he muttered. 'Right, stand back, Harry.'**

**He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella.**

**The brick he had touched quivered — it wriggled — in the middle, a small hole appeared — it grew wider and wider — a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.**

'Wow,' Harry whispered.

**'Welcome,' said Hagrid, 'to Diagon Alley.'**

**He grinned at Harry's amazement. They stepped through the archway. Harry looked quickly over his shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into solid wall.**

'Amazing,' Harry whispered.

**The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. Cauldrons — All Sizes — Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver — Self-Stirring — Collapsible, said a sign hanging over them.**

'That's where I get my Pewter size 2 cauldron,' Harry whispered.

**'Yeah, you'll be needin' one,' said Hagrid, 'but we gotta get yer money first.'**

**Harry wished he had about eight more eyes.**

Like a spider.

**He turned his head in every direction as they walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside them, the people doing their shopping. A plump woman outside an Apothecary was shaking her head as they passed, saying, 'Dragon liver, sixteen Sickles an ounce, they're mad…'**

**A low, soft hooting came from a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl Emporium — Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown, and Snowy.**

I'd like an owl.

**Several boys of about Harry's age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it. 'Look,' Harry heard one of them say, 'the new Nimbus Two Thousand — fastest ever —'**

I wonder what that shop is called.

**There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Harry had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon…**

I wonder what those shops are called.

**'Gringotts,' said Hagrid.**

**They had reached a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was —**

**'Yeah, that's a goblin,' said Hagrid quietly as they walked up the white stone steps toward him. The goblin was about a head shorter than Harry. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, Harry noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:**

**Enter, stranger, but take heed**

**Of what awaits the sin of greed,**

**For those who take, but do not earn,**

**Must pay most dearly in their turn.**

**So if you seek beneath our floors**

**A treasure that was never yours,**

**Thief, you have been warned, beware**

**Of finding more than treasure there.**

I like that poem.

**'Like I said, Yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it,' said Hagrid.**

**A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Hagrid and Harry made for the counter.**

**'Morning,' said Hagrid to a free goblin. 'We've come ter take some money outta Mr. Harry Potter's safe.'**

**'You have his key, sir?'**

**'Got it here somewhere,' said Hagrid,**

I'm glad the Dursleys don't have it.

**and he started emptying his pockets onto the counter, scattering a handful of mouldy dog biscuits over the goblin's book of numbers. The goblin wrinkled his nose. Harry watched the goblin on their right weighing a pile of rubies as big as glowing coals.**

**'Got it,' said Hagrid at last, holding up a tiny golden key.**

**The goblin looked at it closely.**

**'That seems to be in order.'**

**'An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore,' said Hagrid importantly, throwing out his chest. 'It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen.'**

'Maybe the Philosopher's Stone is in the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen,' Harry whispered.

**The goblin read the letter carefully.**

**'Very well,' he said, handing it back to Hagrid, 'I will have someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!'**

Griphook takes me to my vault Harry wrote.

**Griphook was yet another goblin. Once Hagrid had crammed all the dog biscuits back inside his pockets, he and Harry followed Griphook toward one of the doors leading off the hall.**

**'What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?' Harry asked.**

**'Can't tell yeh that,' said Hagrid mysteriously. 'Very secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth ter tell yeh that.'**

**Griphook held the door open for them. Harry, who had expected more marble, was surprised. They were in a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downward and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks toward them. They climbed in — Hagrid with some difficulty — and were off.**

**At first they just hurtled through a maze of twisting passages. Harry tried to remember, left, right, right, left, middle fork, right, left, but it was impossible.**

Don't try to remember the directions of the maze of twisting passages Harry wrote.

**The rattling cart seemed to know its own way, because Griphook wasn't steering.**

**Harry's eyes stung as the cold air rushed past them, but he kept them wide open. Once, he thought he saw a burst of fire at the end of a passage and twisted around to see if it was a dragon, but too late**

Ask Hagrid if there is a real dragon at Gringotts Harry wrote.

— **they plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor.**

**'I never know,' Harry called to Hagrid over the noise of the cart, 'what's the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?'**

**'Stalagmite's got a 'm' in it,' said Hagrid.**

Ask Hagrid what the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite when out of Gringotts Harry wrote.

**'An' don' ask me questions just now, I think I'm gonna be sick.**'

**He did look very green, and when the cart stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, Hagrid got out and had to lean against the wall to stop his knees from trembling.**

**Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Harry gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts.**

'My money,' Harry whispered.

**'All yours,' smiled Hagrid.**

**All Harry's — it was incredible. The Dursleys couldn't have known about this or they'd have had it from him faster than blinking. How often had they complained how much Harry cost them to keep? And all the time there had been a small fortune belonging to him, buried deep under London. Hagrid helped Harry pile some of it into a bag.**

**'The gold ones are Galleons,' he explained.**

Gold coins are Galleons Harry wrote.

**'Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon**

The silver are, Sickles and seventeen of them are to a Galleon Harry wrote.

**and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle,**

Twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle Harry wrote.

**it's easy enough. Right, that should be enough fer a couple o' terms, we'll keep the rest safe for yeh.' He turned to Griphook. 'Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please, and can we go more slowly?'**

**'One speed only,' said Griphook.**

Oh Hagrid's not going to like that.

**They were going even deeper now and gathering speed. The air became colder and colder as they hurtled round tight corners. They went rattling over an underground ravine, and Harry leaned over the side to try to see what was down at the dark bottom, but Hagrid groaned and pulled him back by the scruff of his neck.**

Don't try to lean over the side to see what is down at the dark bottom when going to vault seven hundred and thirteen Harry wrote.

**Vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyhole.**

**'Stand back,' said Griphook importantly. He stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers and it simply melted away.**

**'If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there,' said Griphook.**

**'How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?' Harry asked.**

**'About once every ten years,' said Griphook with a rather nasty grin.**

Oh.

**Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top security vault, Harry was sure, and he leaned forward eagerly, expecting to see fabulous jewels at the very least — but at first he thought it was empty. Then he noticed a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor.**

That's the stone.

**Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat. Harry longed to know what it was, but knew better than to ask.**

**'Come on, back in this infernal cart, and don't talk to me on the way back, it's best if I keep me mouth shut,' said Hagrid.**

**One wild cart ride later they stood blinking in the sunlight outside Gringotts. Harry didn't know where to run first now that he had a bag full of money. He didn't have to know how many Galleons there were to a pound to know that he was holding more money than he'd had in his whole life — more money than even Dudley had ever had.**

And that's saying something.

**'Might as well get yer uniform,' said Hagrid, nodding toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.**

Uniforms are bought at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions Harry wrote.

**'Listen, Harry, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts.' He did still look a bit sick, so Harry entered Madam Malkin's shop alone, feeling nervous.**

**Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.**

**'Hogwarts, dear?' she said, when Harry started to speak. 'Got the lot here — another young man being fitted up just now, in fact.'**

'I hope to get a friend,' Harry whispered.

**In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him slipped a long robe over his head, and began to pin it to the right length.**

**'Hello,' said the boy, 'Hogwarts, too?'**

Where else would I go?

**'Yes,' said Harry.**

**'My father's next door buying my books**

That's nice of him.

**and mother's up the street looking at wands,' said the boy.**

That's nice of her.

**He had a bored, drawling voice. 'Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms.**

He sounds like Dudley.

**I don't see why first years can't have their, own.**

Maybe so that they don't get hurt falling off.

**I think I'll bully father into getting me one**

Never mind I don't want to be friends with him.

**and I'll smuggle it in somehow.'**

That is so what Dudley would do.

**Harry was strongly reminded of Dudley.**

**'Have you got your own broom?' the boy went on.**

Why would I seeing as first years aren't aloud them?

**'No,' said Harry.**

**'Play Quidditch at all?'**

Ask Hagrid what Quidditch is Harry wrote.

**'No,' Harry said again, wondering what on earth Quidditch could be.**

**'I do — Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house,**

Ask Hagrid what House means Harry wrote.

**and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?'**

**'No,' said Harry, feeling more stupid by the minute.**

**'Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been —**

Slytherin is a House Harry wrote.

**imagine being in Hufflepuff,**

Hufflepuff is another house.

**I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?'**

**'Mmm,' said Harry, wishing he could say something a bit more interesting.**

**'I say, look at that man!' said the boy suddenly, nodding toward the front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Harry and pointing at two large ice creams to show he couldn't come in.**

He bought me ice cream.

**'That's Hagrid,' said Harry, pleased to know something the boy didn't. 'He works at Hogwarts.'**

**'Oh,' said the boy, 'I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?'**

Hagrid is not a servant Harry hissed in his mind.

**'He's the gamekeeper,' said Harry. He was, liking the boy less and less every second.**

**'Yes exactly. I heard he's a sort of savage —**

Hagrid is not a savage Harry hissed in his mind.

**lives in a hut on the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk,**

Hagrid do you drink Harry wrote.

**tries to do magic,**

He was expelled Harry hissed in his mind but that doesn't mean he can't do magic.

**and ends up setting fire to his bed.'**

Shut up Harry hissed in his mind.

**'I think he's brilliant,' said Harry coldly.**

**'Do you?' said the boy, with a slight sneer.**

Of course I do.

**'Why is he with you?**

I can't picture Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon coming here with me and Dudley.

**Where are your parents?'**

None of your business Harry hissed in his mind.

**'They're dead,' said Harry shortly. He didn't feel much like going into the matter with this boy.**

**'Oh, sorry,' said the other, not sounding sorry at all.**

That was rude.

**'But they were our kind, weren't they?'**

What other kind of witch and wizard are there Harry wrote.

**'They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean.'**

**'I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine.**

Muggle Raised like me Harry thought or Muggle Born like Mom.

**I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families.**

I don't.

**What's your surname, anyway?'**

'Like I'm going to tell you,' Harry whispered.

**But before Harry could answer, Madam Malkin said, 'That's you done, my dear,'**

Good.

**and Harry, not sorry for an excuse to stop talking to the boy, hopped down from the footstool.**

**'Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose,' said the drawling boy.**

I suppose so.

**Harry was rather quiet as he ate the ice cream Hagrid had bought him (chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts).**

That sounds like a delicious combination.

**'What's up?' said Hagrid.**

**'Nothing,' Harry lied.**

**They stopped to buy parchment and quills. Harry cheered up a bit when he found a bottle of ink that changed color as you wrote.**

That sounds neat.

**When they had left the shop, he said, 'Hagrid, what's Quidditch?'**

**'Blimey, Harry, I keep forgettin' how little yeh know — not knowin' about Quidditch!'**

**'Don't make me feel worse,' said Harry. He told Hagrid about the pale boy in Madam Malkin's.**

**'— and he said people from Muggle families shouldn't even be allowed in —'**

**'Yer not from a Muggle family.**

I was Muggle raised though.

**If he'd known who yeh were — he's grown up knowin' yer name if his parents are wizardin' folk. You saw what everyone in the Leaky Cauldron was like when they saw yeh. Anyway, what does he know about it, some o' the best I ever saw were the only ones with magic in 'em in a long line o' Muggles — look at yer mum! Look what she had fer a sister!'**

**'So what is Quidditch?'**

**'It's our sport. Wizard sport. It's like — like soccer in the Muggle world — everyone follows Quidditch — played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls — sorta hard ter explain the rules.'**

Ask if there is a book on Quidditch Harry wrote.

**'And what are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?'**

**'School houses. There's four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o' duffers, but —'**

**'I bet I'm in Hufflepuff,' said Harry gloomily.**

**'Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin,' said Hagrid darkly. 'There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. You-Know-Who was one.'**

What?

**'Vol-, sorry —You-Know-Who was at Hogwarts?'**

**'Years an' years ago,' said Hagrid.**

I wonder how many.

**They bought Harry's school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all. Even Dudley, who never read anything, would have been wild to get his hands on some of these. Hagrid almost had to drag Harry away from Curses and Countercurses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue-Tying and Much, Much More) by Professor Vindictus Viridian.**

**'I was trying to find out how to curse Dudley.'**

**'I'm not sayin' that's not a good idea, but yer not ter use magic in the Muggle world except in very special circumstances,' said Hagrid. 'An' anyway, yeh couldn' work any of them curses yet, yeh'll need a lot more study before yeh get ter that level.'**

**Hagrid wouldn't let Harry buy a solid gold cauldron, either**

Get both a solid gold cauldron and a pewter Harry wrote.

**('It says pewter on yer list'), but they got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope set. Then they visited the Apothecary, which was fascinating enough to make up for its horrible smell, a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages. Barrels of slimy stuff stood on the floor; jars of herbs, dried roots, and bright powders lined the walls; bundles of feathers, strings of fangs, and snarled claws hung from the ceiling. While Hagrid asked the man behind the counter for a supply of some basic potion ingredients for Harry, Harry himself examined silver unicorn horns at twenty-one Galleons each and minuscule, glittery-black beetle eyes (five Knuts a scoop).**

**Outside the Apothecary, Hagrid checked Harry's list again.**

**'Just yer wand left — A yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present.'**

Harry's eyes widened and whispered, 'you don't have to get me a birthday present Hagrid.'

**Harry felt himself go red.**

**'You don't have to —'**

**'I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh'd be laughed at**

I wouldn't laugh at somebody who had a toad.

— **an' I don' like cats, they make me sneeze.**

Don't bring a cat to see Hagrid because they make him sneeze, Harry wrote.

**I'll get yer an owl.**

That's what I want an owl.

**All the kids want owls they're dead useful, carry yer mail an' everythin'.'**

'Thank you Hagrid,' Harry whispered.

**Twenty minutes later, they left Eeylops Owl Emporium, which had been dark and full of rustling and flickering, jewel-bright eyes. Harry now carried a large cage that held a beautiful snowy owl, fast asleep with her head under her wing. He couldn't stop stammering his thanks, sounding just like Professor Quirrell.**

I only did it once unlike Professor Quirrell.

**'Don' mention it,' said Hagrid gruffly. 'Don' expect you've had a lotta presents from them Dursleys.**

That is so true.

**Just Ollivanders left now — only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand.'**

**I'd love to get a wand.**

**A magic wand… this was what Harry had been really looking forward to.**

**The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.**

**A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Hagrid sat on to wait. Harry felt strangely as though he had entered a very strict library; he swallowed a lot of new questions that had just occurred to him and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of his neck prickled.**

I wonder why.

**The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.**

**'Good afternoon,' said a soft voice.**

How does he do that?

**Harry jumped. Hagrid must have jumped, too, because there was a loud crunching noise and he got quickly off the spindly chair.**

**An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.**

**'Hello,' said Harry awkwardly.**

**'Ah yes,' said the man. 'Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter.' It wasn't a question. 'You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work.'**

How does he remember that? Harry wondered before he wrote Mom was good in Charms.

**Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Harry. Harry wished he would blink.**

Why wouldn't he blink?

**Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy.**

**'Your father, on the other hand, favoured a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration.**

Dad was good in Transfiguration Harry wrote.

**Well, I say your father favoured it — it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course.'**

Then how come that boy at Madam Malkin's said his mother was looking for wands for him?

**Mr. Ollivander had come so close that he and Harry were almost nose to nose. Harry could see himself reflected in those misty eyes.**

**'And that's where…'**

**Mr. Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Harry's forehead with a long, white finger.**

Don't let people touch my scar Harry made a mental note.

**'I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it,' he said softly. 'Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands… well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do…'**

You wouldn't have sold it Harry guessed.

**He shook his head and then, to Harry's relief, spotted Hagrid.**

**'Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again… Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?'**

**'It was, sir, yes,' said Hagrid.**

**'Good wand, that one. But I suppose they snapped it in half when you got expelled?' said Mr. Ollivander, suddenly stern.**

**'Er — yes, they did, yes,' said Hagrid, shuffling his feet. 'I've still got the pieces, though,' he added brightly.**

**'But you don't use them?' said Mr. Ollivander sharply.**

**'Oh, no, sir,' said Hagrid quickly. Harry noticed he gripped his pink umbrella very tightly as he spoke.**

He still has the pieces in the umbrella and uses it that way Harry guessed.

**'Hmmm,' said Mr. Ollivander, giving Hagrid a piercing look. 'Well, now — Mr. Potter. Let me see.' He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. 'Which is your wand arm?'**

**'Er — well, I'm right-handed,' said Harry.**

**'Hold out your arm. That's it.'**

My wand arm is my right-hand Harry wrote.

**He measured Harry from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head.**

Why does he have to measure so much?

**As he measured, he said, 'Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Mr. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers,**

Ask Hagrid what a phoenix is Harry wrote.

**and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand.'**

**Harry suddenly realized that the tape measure, which was measuring between his nostrils, was doing this on its own.**

'Magic,' Harry whispered.

**Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.**

**'That will do,' he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor.**

Weird Harry thought.

**'Right then, Mr. Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. just take it and give it a wave.'**

**Harry took the wand and (feeling foolish) waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once.**

**'Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try —'**

**Harry tried — but he had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander.**

**'No, no — here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out.'**

**Harry tried. And tried. He had no idea what Mr. Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.**

**'Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere — I wonder, now — yes, why not — unusual combination — holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple.'**

**Harry took the wand. He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers.**

**He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls.**

**Hagrid whooped and clapped and Mr. Ollivander cried, 'Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good.**

**I guess that's my wand and the rest aren't.**

**Well, well, well… how curious… how very curious…'**

**He put Harry's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, 'Curious… curious…'**

**'Sorry,' said Harry, 'but what's curious?'**

**Mr. Ollivander fixed Harry with his pale stare.**

**'I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather — just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother — why, its brother gave you that scar.'**

Harry stifled his gasp.

**Harry swallowed.**

**'Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember… I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter… After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things — terrible, yes, but great.'**

Killing people shouldn't mean great.

**Harry shivered. He wasn't sure he liked Mr. Ollivander too much. He paid seven gold Galleons for his wand, and Mr. Ollivander bowed them from his shop.**

I wonder how much everything else was.

**The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Harry and Hagrid made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, now empty.**

That's good then I won't be recognized.

**Harry didn't speak at all as they walked down the road; he didn't even notice how much people were gawking at them on the Underground, laden as they were with all their funny-shaped packages, with the snowy owl asleep in its cage on Harry's lap.**

Explain to Hagrid that Muggles will look at us because of all of the stuff I have and of the owl Harry wrote.

**Up another escalator, out into Paddington station; Harry only realized where they were when Hagrid tapped him on the shoulder.**

**'Got time fer a bite to eat before yer train leaves,' he said.**

Good I'll be able to eat.

**He bought Harry a hamburger and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them. Harry kept looking around. Everything looked so strange, somehow.**

**'You all right, Harry? Yer very quiet,' said Hagrid.**

**Harry wasn't sure he could explain. He'd just had the best birthday of his life — and yet — he chewed his hamburger, trying to find the words.**

**'Everyone thinks I'm special,' he said at last.**

It's weird and I don't know anything about magic.

**'All those people in the Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell, Mr. Ollivander… but I don't know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? I'm famous and I can't even remember what I'm famous for. I don't know what happened when Vol-, sorry — I mean, the night my parents died.'**

**Hagrid leaned across the table. Behind the wild beard and eyebrows he wore a very kind smile.**

**'Don' you worry, Harry. You'll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, you'll be just fine. Just be yer self. I know it's hard. Yeh've been singled out, an' that's always hard. But yeh'll have a great time at Hogwarts — I did — still do, 'smatter of fact.'**

That's a nice thing to say.

**Hagrid helped Harry on to the train that would take him back to the Dursleys, then handed him an envelope.**

**'Yer ticket fer Hogwarts, ' he said. 'First o' September — King's Cross — it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with yer owl, she'll know where to find me…. See yeh soon, Harry.'**

Hagrid how do I get onto the platform Harry wrote.

**The train pulled out of the station. Harry wanted to watch Hagrid until he was out of sight; he rose in his seat and pressed his nose against the window, but he blinked and Hagrid had gone.**

Harry ate the food that seemed to magically appear before him in his Cupboard and then stuffed the book under his pillow before falling asleep as the dishes magically disappeared.

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><p>please review<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone

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><p>The next night Harry sat on his bed and got out the book and turned it to the page where he left off. He turned the page and there was a note there:<p>

Dear Harry,

You will be transported to the Flamel Manor where time will freeze and you will read with the Flamel's.

Good Luck

Miss Fate

As Harry was transported to the Flamel Manor with the book, his sheet of paper and a pen Nicolas and Perenelle were eating chocolate cake when a note appeared on the table:

Dear Nicolas and Perenelle,

You both have been chosen to read with a young boy.

Good Luck

Miss Fate

Harry was then in Flamel Manor and onto a chair in between Nicolas and Perenelle.

'Hello, I'm Harry Potter,' Harry said as he flattened his hair.

'Hello Harry, I'm Nicolas Flamel,' Nicolas said extending his hand, 'it's nice to meet you.'

'It's nice to meet you too, sir,' Harry said shaking the man's hand.

'Nonsense,' Nicolas said, 'please call me Nicolas.'

'Okay Nicolas,' Harry said.

'Hello Harry, I'm Perenelle Flamel,' Perenelle said, 'it's nice to meet you.'

'It's nice to meet you too ma'am,' Harry said.

'Nonsense,' Perenelle said, 'please call me Perenelle.'

'Okay Perenelle,' Harry said.

'Now Harry what's this about a book,' Nicolas said.

'Well it's called **Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone** and the first chapter was about my parents', being murdered and me being sent to the Dursleys', Harry said, 'the second chapter was about me talking to a snake. Funny thing is that I was sent this book the day before my cousin, Dudley's birthday and I didn't do that.'

Nicolas and Perenelle exchanged looks and Perenelle said, 'Don't show anyone at all that you can speak to snakes.

'Why not,' Harry asked curiously.

'People will think that you're the heir of Slytherin which you're not by the way,' Nicolas said.

'Okay,' Harry said, 'well the book came again the next night and I learnt that somebody was giving me a letter and Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia didn't want me to have it so for a week they tried to stop me from having it and finally Hagrid came to rescue me in the next chapter and told me more about Voldemort and my parents and the next chapter Hagrid took me to Diagon Alley where I met a boy who made me feel stupid.'

'Harry,' Nicolas said gently, 'I suggest you do the same as you did before but pretend that you don't know that it's for you.'

'Okay Nicolas,' Harry said.

'Harry do you have questions to ask,' Perenelle asked.

'Yes,' Harry said, 'What does it mean when you appear form one place to another,' as he remembered the first chapter.

'Apparition and Disapparition which you'll learn when you're sixteen but you will have to wait until your seventeenth birthday to take your test,' Nicolas said.

'Oh,' Harry said, 'what's it called when somebody can turn into a cat and then back into a human?

'Animagus which only a powerful witch or wizard can do,' Perenelle said, 'which can only be one animal but they can be a different one other than a cat.'

'Oh,' Harry said, 'who is Sirius Black?'

Nicolas and Perenelle exchanged looks.

'A traitor,' Nicolas said as Perenelle said, 'A murderer.'

'Oh,' Harry said not wanting to know more about him looked at the piece of paper and added, 'how does Hogwarts know where one lives?'

'When your name is down for Hogwarts she knows where everyone's room is although nobody else does,' Nicolas said as Perenelle said, 'A magical quill.'

'Oh and when is your name put down for Hogwarts,' Harry asked.

'When you have your first sprout of accidental magic,' Perenelle said.

'Accidental magic,' Harry repeated.

'It happens when one is scared or angry,' Nicolas said.

'Oh,' Harry said, 'what is the Order of Merlin mean?'

'It is for wizards or witches who have achieved great deeds,' Perenelle said, 'it is in order of First Class, Second Class and Third Class.'

'Oh,' Harry said, 'what about Grand Sorc?'

'Grand Sorcerer,' Nicolas said.

'Chf. Warlock,' Harry asked.

'Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot is a wizard that oversees court procedures,' Perenelle said.

'Wizengamot,' Harry repeated.

'About fifty wizards and witches which is the full Wizengamot are seeing weather somebody is guilty or not,' Nicolas said.

'Oh,' Harry said, 'what about Supreme Mugwump?'

'Name of the head International Confed. of Wizards,' Perenelle said, 'which is the wizarding version of United Nations.'

'Oh,' Harry said, 'what were Voldemort's followers called?'

'Death Eaters,' Nicolas said.

'Oh,' Harry said, 'what are the books that I'm in?'

'Modern Magical History,' Perenelle said, 'The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century.'

Harry wrote them down and said, 'Who were the McKinnons family?'

'Marlene, her sister Karen, her other sister, Susan and her brother Cody and their parents Sam and David,' Nicolas said.

'Oh,' Harry said, 'what about the Bones family?'

'Edgar, his wife Carmen, their children Samantha and Sarah,' Edgar's father and mother were all murdered,' Perenelle said, 'but Edgar's sister Amelia, their brother Kevin and Kevin's wife Kathy and their daughter Susan are alive.'

'Oh,' Harry said, 'what about the Prewetts family?'

'Fabian and his twin brother Gideon are gone,' Nicolas said, 'but Molly lives as a Weasley, their parents Virginia and Chares, Molly's Uncle Ignatius died naturally but his wife Lucretia who used to be a Black is still living, Molly's Aunt Muriel and her sister Tessie and their mother.'

'Oh,' Harry said, 'what does dunno if he had enough human left in him to die?'

'I would assume that means a Horcrux,' Perenelle said, 'which is killing somebody and putting a piece of your sole into an object making you unable to die.'

'Oh,' Harry said, 'where is Hogwarts?'

'In Scotland,' Nicolas said.

'Oh,' Harry said, 'and what is the adult age in the wizarding world?'

'Seventeen,' Perenelle said.

'Okay,' Harry said, 'what is the actual name for Gringotts?'

'Gringotts Wizarding Bank,' Nicolas said.

'Oh,' Harry said, 'do you know why Cornelius is Minister if he owls Dumbledore with owls every morning for advice?'

'He was the junior minister before,' Perenelle said, 'and is not sure how to do his job properly.'

'Okay,' Harry said, 'what are the first year's classes besides Charms and Transfiguration?'

'Flying, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Herbology, History of Magic and Astronomy,' Nicolas said.

'Okay,' Harry said and wrote them down before saying, 'Are vampires real?'

'Yes,' Perenelle said.

'What is a Hag,' Harry asked.

'Are also called crones which is a savage sort of creature that look like ugly, old witches,' Nicolas said.

'Are the dragons at Gringotts,' Harry asked.

'Yes,' Perenelle said, 'they are used to guard certain vaults.'

'What is the difference between stalagmite and stalactite?' Harry asked.

'Stalagmites grow on the ground and stalactites grow on the ceiling,' Nicolas said.

'Are there other schools besides Hogwarts,' Harry asked.

'Yes,' Perenelle said, 'and to name a few they are Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, Brazilian Wizarding School, Drumstang Institute, Charm School, Salem Witches Institute, and Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts.'

'What are Quidditch rules,' Harry asked, 'or is there a book that can tell me that?

'Yes there is it's called Quidditch Through the Ages,' Nicolas said.

'What's Slytherin house and Hufflepuff house,' Harry asked after writing the book title down.

'There is also Gryffindor house and Ravenclaw house,' Perenelle said.

'What other kinds of wizard and witch are there,' Harry asked.

'Muggle Born, Muggle raised, there are also Muggles and Squibs which is a person born to one or both magical parents that have no magical parents,' Nicolas said.

'What is a phoenix,' Harry asked.

The Phoenix is a large swan-sized scarlet bird with red and gold plumage, along with a golden beak and talons, black eyes, and a tail as long as a peacock,' Perenelle said.

'How do I get on the platform,' Harry asked.

All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous,' Nicolas said.

'Thank you,' Harry said.

'Now have some cake,' Nicolas said as Perenelle dished Harry some cake.

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><p>please review<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

I do not own anyone.

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><p>Harry went to read after the dishes were done,<p>

'**The Journey from Platform Nine and Three Quarters**,'

'That is the platform I go on into the Hogwarts train station?'

'Yes it is,' Nicolas said.

**Harry's last month with the Dursleys wasn't fun. True, Dudley was now so scared of Harry he wouldn't stay in the same room,**

'Why scared,' Perenelle asked.

'Hagrid tried to turn Dudley into a pig but the only thing that changed on him was that he got a tail,' Harry said, 'because he's huge.'

**While Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn't shut Harry in his cupboard,**

'Your cupboard,' Nicolas and Perenelle asked in dangerous voices.

Harry gulped and said, 'The cupboard under the stairs is where I currently sleep.'

'You need a room,' Nicolas and Perenelle said, 'not a cupboard.'

'Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon made me move into Dudley's second bedroom when I got my Hogwarts letter and the address was cupboard under the stairs,' Harry said.

'Second bedroom,' Perenelle said widening her eyes as Nicolas said, 'how many other rooms do they have?'

'A room for Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon and then they have a guest room for Aunt Marge who is my Uncle's sister but I have always been forced to call her Aunt,' Harry said before continuing to read.

**force him to do anything,**

'Force you,' Nicolas and Perenelle asked.

'Chores like weeding the garden, make breakfast, lunch and dinner, do the laundry, set the table, wash dishes,' Harry said and was about to go on.

'We've heard enough Harry,' Nicolas said as Perenelle was too shocked to speak.

**or shout at him —**

'Why would they shout at you?' Perenelle asked coming out of her shock.

'Accidental magic and say something that's not normal to them,' Harry said and continued to read.

**in fact, they didn't speak to him at all.**

'That's depressing,' Harry said.

**Half terrified, half furious, they acted as though any chair with Harry in it were empty.**

Nicolas and Perenelle exchanged looks.

**Although this was an improvement in many ways, it did become a bit depressing after a while.**

**Harry kept to his room, with his new owl for company. He had decided to call her Hedwig,**

Name my owl Hedwig Harry wrote and said, 'My birthday present from Hagrid.'

'Do you get any presents for you birthday,' Perenelle asked as Nicolas asked, 'Do you get presents at all?'

'Not decent ones,' Harry said and went back to reading not noticing that Nicolas and Perenelle exchanged a look.

**a name he had found in A History of Magic. His school books were very interesting.**

**He lay on his bed reading late into the night, Hedwig swooping in and out of the open window as she pleased. It was lucky that Aunt Petunia didn't come in to vacuum anymore, because Hedwig kept bringing back dead mice.**

'She wouldn't like that,' Harry said.

**Every night before he went to sleep, Harry ticked off another day on the piece of paper he had pinned to the wall, counting down to September the first.**

'We'll get you a calendar Harry,' Nicolas said as Perenelle said, 'Accio parchment, quill and ink.

Perenelle wrote buy a calendar for Harry as Harry blushed red and said, 'Thank you.'

**On the last day of August he thought he'd better speak to his aunt and uncle about getting to King's Cross station the next day, so he went down to the living room where they were watching a quiz show on television. He cleared his throat to let them know he was there, and Dudley screamed and ran from the room.**

**'Er — Uncle Vernon?'**

**Uncle Vernon grunted to show he was listening.**

**'Er — I need to be at King's Cross tomorrow to — to go to Hogwarts.'**

**Uncle Vernon grunted again.**

**'Would it be all right if you gave me a lift?'**

**Grunt. Harry supposed that meant yes.**

**'Thank you.'**

**He was about to go back upstairs when Uncle Vernon actually spoke.**

**'Funny way to get to a wizards' school, the train. Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?'**

'They are illegal,' Nicolas said.

**Harry didn't say anything.**

**'Where is this school, anyway?'**

**'I don't know,' said Harry, realizing this for the first time. He pulled the ticket Hagrid had given him out of his pocket.**

**'I just take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock,' he read.**

**His aunt and uncle stared.**

**'Platform what?'**

**'Nine and three-quarters.'**

**'Don't talk rubbish,' said Uncle Vernon. 'There is no platform nine and three-quarters.'**

'Yes there is,' Perenelle said, 'it's just hidden so that Muggles can't see it.'

**'It's on my ticket.'**

**'Barking,' said Uncle Vernon, 'howling mad, the lot of them. You'll see. You just wait. All right, we'll take you to King's Cross.**

Harry widened his eyes wondering why they would take him to King's Cross.

**We're going up to London tomorrow anyway, or I wouldn't bother.'**

**'Why are you going to London?' Harry asked, trying to keep things friendly.**

**'Taking Dudley to the hospital,' growled Uncle Vernon. 'Got to have that ruddy tail removed before he goes to Smeltings.'**

'Smeltings,' Nicolas asked.

'Uncle Vernon and Aunt Marge went there as children and now Dudley and one of his gang member Piers Polkiss are going there,' Harry said.

'How many more people are in Dudley's gang and who are they?' Perenelle asked.

'Three more and their names are Malcolm Mitchell, Dennis Dmitry and Gordon Grant,' Harry said and continued to read.

**Harry woke at five o'clock the next morning and was too excited and nervous to go back to sleep.**

**He got up and pulled on his jeans because he didn't want to walk into the station in his wizard's robes —**

'You'll attract more attention that way,' Nicolas said.

**he'd change on the train. He checked his Hogwarts list yet again to make sure he had everything he needed, saw that Hedwig was shut safely in her cage, and then paced the room, waiting for the Dursleys to get up.**

**Two hours later, Harry's huge, heavy trunk had been loaded into the Dursleys' car, Aunt Petunia had talked Dudley into sitting next to Harry, and they had set off.**

**They reached King's Cross at half past ten. Uncle Vernon dumped Harry's trunk onto a cart and wheeled it into the station for him.**

'What,' Harry asked widening his eyes, 'why is being nice?'

**Harry thought this was strangely kind until Uncle Vernon stopped dead, facing the platforms with a nasty grin on his face.**

**'Well, there you are, boy. Platform nine — platform ten. Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?'**

**He was quite right, of course. There was a big plastic number nine over one platform and a big plastic number ten over the one next to it, and in the middle, nothing at all.**

**'Have a good term,' said Uncle Vernon with an even nastier smile. He left without another word. Harry turned and saw the Dursleys drive away. All three of them were laughing.**

Nicolas and Perenelle exchanged looks and said, 'Harry.'

'Yes,' Harry said looking up at them both.

'Would you like to be adopted by us,' Nicolas and Perenelle asked.

'I'd love to,' Harry said wide eyed.

'Well when we're done reading I will go to Minister Fudge and see what we can do,' Nicolas said.

'Thank you,' Harry said as Perenelle wrote Adopt Harry.

**Harry's mouth went rather dry. What on earth was he going to do? He was starting to attract a lot of funny looks, because of Hedwig. He'd have to ask someone. He stopped a passing guard, but didn't dare mention platform nine and three-quarters.**

**The guard had never heard of Hogwarts and when Harry couldn't even tell him what part of the country it was in, he started to get annoyed, as though Harry was being stupid on purpose. Getting desperate, Harry asked for the train that left at eleven o'clock, but the guard said there wasn't one.**

**In the end the guard strode away, muttering about time wasters. Harry was now trying hard not to panic. According to the large clock over the arrivals board, he had ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and he had no idea how to do it; he was stranded in the middle of a station with a trunk he could hardly lift, a pocket full of wizard money, and a large owl.**

'I hope somebody helps me,' Harry said.

**Hagrid must have forgotten to tell him something you had to do, like tapping the third brick on the left to get into Diagon Alley.**

'You'll attract more attention that way,' Nicolas said.

**He wondered if he should get out his wand and start tapping the ticket inspector's stand between platforms nine and ten.**

'You'll just go through to the other side,' Perenelle said.

**At that moment a group of people passed just behind him and he caught a few words of what they were saying.**

**'— packed with Muggles, of course —'**

'Wizards and witches that can help me,' Harry said.

**Harry swung round. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair.**

'That's Molly Weasley with her sons,' Nicolas said.

**Each of them was pushing a trunk like Harry's in front of him — and they had an owl.**

**Heart hammering, Harry pushed his cart after them. They stopped and so did he, just near enough to hear what they were saying.**

**'Now, what's the platform number?' said the boys' mother.**

**'Nine and three-quarters!' piped a small girl, also red-headed, who was holding her hand,**

'And Ginny,' Perenelle said.

'Mom, can't I go…'

**'You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first.'**

**What looked like the oldest boy marched toward platforms nine and ten.**

**Harry watched, careful not to blink in case he missed it — but just as the boy reached the dividing barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.**

**'Fred, you next,' the plump woman said.**

**'I'm not Fred, I'm George,' said the boy. 'Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?'**

**'Sorry, George, dear.'**

**'Only joking, I am Fred,' said the boy, and off he went.**

'Twins,' Harry said smiling.

**His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so, because a second later, he had gone — but how had he done it? Now the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier he was almost there — and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere.**

**There was nothing else for it.**

**'Excuse me,' Harry said to the plump woman.**

**'Hello, dear,' she said. 'First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too.'**

'Maybe I'll have a friend,' Harry said.

**She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons. He was tall, thin, and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose.**

**'Yes,' said Harry. 'The thing is — the thing is, I don't know how to —'**

**'How to get onto the platform?' she said kindly, and Harry nodded.**

**'Not to worry,' she said. 'All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron.'**

**'Er — okay,' said Harry.**

**He pushed his trolley around and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid.**

**He started to walk toward it. People jostled him on their way to platforms nine and ten. Harry walked more quickly. He was going to smash right into that barrier and then he'd be in trouble — leaning forward on his cart, he broke into a heavy run — the barrier was coming nearer and nearer — he wouldn't be able to stop — the cart was out of control — he was a foot away — he closed his eyes ready for the crash — It didn't come… he kept on running… he opened his eyes.**

'I made it,' Harry said happily.

**A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts' Express, eleven o'clock. Harry looked behind him and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it, He had done it.**

**Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.**

**The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Harry pushed his cart off down the platform in search of an empty seat. He passed a round-faced boy who was saying, 'Gran, I've lost my toad again.'**

**'Oh, Neville,' he heard the old woman sigh.**

'What's wrong with her,' Harry asked.

'It sounds like Augusta Longbottom wants to be proud of her grandson Neville just like she was with her son Frank,' Nicolas said, 'Frank has a wife named Alice whose last name was Winestool.'

**A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd.**

**'Give us a look, Lee, go on.'**

**The boy lifted the lid of a box in his arms, and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg.**

**Harry pressed on through the crowd until he found an empty compartment near the end of the train. He put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave his trunk toward the train door. He tried to lift it up the steps but could hardly raise one end and twice he dropped it painfully on his foot.**

**'Want a hand?' It was one of the red-haired twins he'd followed through the barrier.**

**'Yes, please,' Harry panted.**

**'Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!'**

**With the twins' help, Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.**

**'Thanks,' said Harry, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.**

**'What's that?' said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Harry's lightning scar.**

**'Blimey,' said the other twin. 'Are you —?'**

**'He is,' said the first twin. 'Aren't you?' he added to Harry.**

**'What?' said Harry.**

**'Harry Potter.' chorused the twins.**

**'Oh, him,' said Harry. 'I mean, yes, I am.'**

**The two boys gawked at him, and Harry felt himself turning red. Then, to his relief, a voice came floating in through the train's open door.**

**'Fred? George? Are you there?'**

**'Coming, Mom.'**

**With a last look at Harry, the twins hopped off the train.**

'I don't like people looking at my scar,' Harry said, 'and I think it's just going to be worse at Hogwarts.'

**Harry sat down next to the window where, half hidden, he could watch the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying.**

**Their mother had just taken out her handkerchief.**

**'Ron, you've got something on your nose.'**

**The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose.**

**'Mom — geroff' He wriggled free.**

**'Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?' said one of the twins.**

'That's a silly thing to say,' Harry said.

**'Shut up,' said Ron.**

**'Where's Percy?' said their mother.**

**'He's coming now.'**

**The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes, and Harry noticed a red and gold badge on his chest with the letter P on it.**

**'Can't stay long, Mother,' he said. 'I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves —'**

**'Oh, are you a prefect, Percy?' said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. 'You should have said something, we had no idea.'**

**'Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it,' said the other twin. 'Once —'**

**'Or twice —'**

**'A minute —'**

**'All summer —' =**

'So he's happy being a prefect,' Nicolas said.

'Were my parents prefects,' Harry asked.

'Your Mother was one along with one of your Dad's friend Remus Lupin,' Perenelle said.

'Oh,' Harry said, 'why didn't he come to visit?'

'He's depressed about Black,' Nicolas said.

'Oh,' Harry said, 'did Remus know Black?'

'Yes,' Perenelle said, 'your Dad and Black were best friends and soon enough Remus joined the group along with Peter Pettigrew.'

'Peter Pettigrew,' Harry repeated.

'The man Black murdered,' Nicolas said quietly.

'Oh,' Harry said.

**'Oh, shut up,' said Percy the Prefect.**

**'How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?' said one of the twins.**

**'Because he's a prefect,' said their mother fondly. 'All right, dear, well, have a good term — send me an owl when you get there.'**

**She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left. Then she turned to the twins.**

**'Now, you two — this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've — you've blown up a toilet or —'**

**'Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet.'**

**'Great idea though, thanks, Mom.'**

**'It's not funny. And look after Ron.'**

**'Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us.'**

**'Shut up,' said Ron again. He was almost as tall as the twins already and his nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it.**

**'Hey, Mom, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?'**

'Why don't you tell the whole world that you met famous Harry Potter on the train,' Harry said bitterly.

**Harry leaned back quickly so they couldn't see him looking.**

**'You know that black-haired boy who was near us in the station? Know who he is?'**

**'Who?'**

**'Harry Potter!'**

**Harry heard the little girl's voice.**

**'Oh, Mom, can I go on the train and see him, Mom, eh please…'**

'Somebody has a crush,' Nicolas said.

'Yeah,' Harry said, 'on the boy who lived and not me.'

**'You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo.**

'Thank you Mrs Weasley,' Harry said.

**Is he really, Fred? How do you know?'**

**'Asked him. Saw his scar. It's really there — like lightning.'**

**'Poor dear — no wonder he was alone, I wondered. He was ever so polite when he asked how to get onto the platform.'**

**'Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?'**

'No I don't,' Harry said, 'although I remember a flash of green light and a high, cold, cruel laugh.'

Nicolas and Perenelle's eyes widened eyes widened but before they could say a word Harry continued to read.

**Their mother suddenly became very stern.**

**'I forbid you to ask him, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school.'**

**'All right, keep your hair on.'**

**A whistle sounded.**

**'Hurry up!' their mother said, and the three boys clambered onto the train. They leaned out of the window for her to kiss them good-bye, and their younger sister began to cry.**

**'Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls.'**

**'We'll send you a Hogwarts' toilet seat.'**

**'George!'**

**'Only joking, Mom.'**

**The train began to move. Harry saw the boys' mother waving and their sister, half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed, then she fell back and waved.**

**Harry watched the girl and her mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. Houses flashed past the window. Harry felt a great leap of excitement. He didn't know what he was going to — but it had to be better than what he was leaving behind.**

'That's for sure,' Harry said.

**The door of the compartment slid open and the youngest redheaded boy came in.**

**'Anyone sitting there?' he asked, pointing at the seat opposite Harry. 'Everywhere else is full.'**

**Harry shook his head and the boy sat down. He glanced at Harry and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. Harry saw he still had a black mark on his nose.**

'So his mother didn't get it off,' Harry said.

**'Hey, Ron.'**

**The twins were back.**

**'Listen, we're going down the middle of the train — Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there.'**

**'Right,' mumbled Ron.**

**'Harry,' said the other twin, 'did we introduce ourselves?**

'No,' Harry said.

**Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then.'**

**'Bye,' said Harry and Ron. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.**

**'Are you really Harry Potter?' Ron blurted out.**

**Harry nodded.**

**'Oh — well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes,' said Ron.**

'They must joke around a lot,' Harry said.

**'And have you really got — you know…'**

**He pointed at Harry's forehead.**

**Harry pulled back his bangs to show the lightning scar. Ron stared.**

**'So that's where You-Know-Who —?'**

**'Yes,' said Harry, 'but I can't remember it.'**

**'Nothing?' said Ron eagerly.**

'Didn't his mother forbid him not to ask,' Harry said.

'No,' Nicolas said, 'only the twins.'

**'Well — I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else.'**

'I don't want people to know that I heard Voldemort's laugh,' Harry said.

'I don't blame you,' Perenelle said.

**'Wow,' said Ron. He sat and stared at Harry for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out of the window again.**

**'Are all your family wizards?' asked Harry, who found Ron just as interesting as Ron found him.**

**'Er — Yes, I think so,' said Ron. 'I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him.'**

'Why not,' Harry asked.

'He's a squib,' Nicolas said, 'and I don't think he has the same idea about magic as the Dursleys'.'

'Oh,' Harry said.

**'So you must know loads of magic already.'**

**The Weasleys were clearly one of those old wizarding families the pale boy in Diagon Alley had talked about.**

'He told me that magic should be kept in the old wizarding families,' Harry said.

'Pure bloods,' Nicolas said.

'Oh,' Harry said.

**'I heard you went to live with Muggles,' said Ron. 'What are they like?'**

**'Horrible — well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are,**

'Along with Aunt Marge,' Harry said.

**though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers.'**

**'Five,' said Ron. For some reason, he was looking gloomy. 'I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left — Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first.**

'That poor boy has issues,' Perenelle said, 'that, he needs to sort out.'

**You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat.'**

'They sound poor,' Harry said.

'They are,' Nicolas said.

**Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat gray rat, which was asleep.**

**'His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff —**

'There's nothing wrong with not being able to afford stuff,' Harry said, 'I never get money.'

Nicolas and Perenelle shook their heads sadly.

**I mean, I got Scabbers instead.'**

**Ron's ears went pink.**

**He seemed to think he'd said too much, because he went back to staring out of the window.**

**Harry didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl. After all, he'd never had any money in his life until a month ago, and he told Ron so, all about having to wear Dudley's old clothes and never getting proper birthday presents.**

'The first thing we're going to do when you are adopted with us is that I'm taking you shopping for a whole new wardrobe,' Perenelle said writing buy Harry a whole new wardrobe.

'You,' Harry started.

'It's best not to argue with her,' Nicolas said, 'trust me.'

'Thank you Perenelle,' Harry said.

**This seemed to cheer Ron up.**

**'… and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort —'**

**Ron gasped.**

**'What?' said Harry.**

**'You said You-Know-Who's name!' said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. 'I'd have thought you, of all people —'**

**'I'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name,' said Harry, 'I just never knew you shouldn't.**

'Fear of a name increases fear it self,' Nicolas said.

'So I should stick with saying Voldemort,' Harry said.

'Exactly,' Perenelle said.

Stick with saying Voldemort Harry wrote.

**See what I mean? I've got loads to learn… I bet,' he added, voicing for the first time something that had been worrying him a lot lately, 'I bet I'm the worst in the class.'**

**'You won't be. There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough.'**

**While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.**

**Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, 'Anything off the cart, dears?'**

'Mars bars,' Harry said.

**Harry, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to his feet, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. Harry went out into the corridor.**

**He had never had any money for candy with the Dursleys, and now that he had pockets rattling with gold and silver he was ready to buy as many Mars Bars as he could carry — but the woman didn't have Mars Bars.**

'What,' Harry asked wide-eyed.

'She has Wizard desserts,' Perenelle said.

'Oh,' Harry said.

**What she did have were Bettie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs. Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things Harry had never seen in his life.**

Harry wrote the names of the candies down.

**Not wanting to miss anything, he got some of everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.**

'You better share,' Nicolas said.

'I will,' Harry said.

**Ron stared as Harry brought it all back in to the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat.**

**'Hungry, are you?'**

**'Starving,' said Harry, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty.**

**Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches inside. He pulled one of them apart and said, 'She always forgets I don't like corned beef…'**

'Accio quill, parchment and ink,' Nicolas said and wrote Ron doesn't like corned beef sandwiches.

**'Swap you for one of these,' said Harry, holding up a pasty. 'Go on —'**

**'You don't want this, it's all dry,' said Ron.**

Send water or something else to drink with corned beef sandwiches Nicolas wrote.

**'She hasn't got much time,' he added quickly, 'you know, with five of us.'**

**'Go on, have a pasty,' said Harry, who had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with.**

'See I do share,' Harry said.

'That's very nice of you,' Perenelle said.

'Thank you,' Harry said happily at the praise making Nicolas and Perenelle exchange looks.

**It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron, eating their way through all Harry's pasties, cakes, and candies (the sandwiches lay forgotten).**

'So we do become friends,' Harry said.

**'What are these?' Harry asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. 'They're not really frogs, are they?' He was starting to feel that nothing would surprise him.**

**'No,' said Ron. 'But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa.'**

**'What?'**

**'Oh, of course, you wouldn't know — Chocolate Frogs have cards, inside them, you know, to collect — famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy.'**

'That's a lot of cards,' Harry said and then wrote Chocolate Frogs have cards inside them that you collect.

**Harry unwrapped his Chocolate Frog and picked up the card. It showed a man's face. He wore half-moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and moustache.**

'Dumbledore,' Harry said.

**Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore.**

**'So this is Dumbledore!' said Harry.**

**'Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!' said Ron.**

'Not until I read the first chapter,' Harry said.

**'Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa — thanks —'**

**Harry turned over his card and read:**

**ALBUS DUMBLEDORE**

**CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS**

**Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945,**

'What's his full name,' Harry asked.

'Gellert Grindelwald,' Nicolas said.

'Oh,' Harry said.

**for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood,**

'What are they,' Harry asked.

Perenelle told him all the twelve uses including oven cleaner and spot remover.

'Oh,' Harry said.

**and his work on alchemy**

'What is that,' Harry asked.

'Magical science,' Nicolas said.

**with his partner, Nicolas Flamel.**

'Hey that's you,' Harry said, 'so are you two friends with him?'

'Yes,' Nicolas and Perenelle said.

**Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and ten-pin bowling.**

**Harry turned the card back over and saw, to his astonishment, that Dumbledore's face had disappeared.**

Harry gasped and kept reading.

**'He's gone!'**

**'Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day,' said Ron.**

**'He'll be back. No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her… do you want it? You can start collecting.'**

**Ron's eyes strayed to the pile of Chocolate Frogs waiting to be unwrapped. 'Help yourself,' said Harry. 'But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos.'**

'I know that,' Nicolas and Perenelle said.

**'Do they? What, they don't move at all?' Ron sounded amazed. 'Weird!'**

**Harry stared as Dumbledore sidled back into the picture on his card and gave him a small smile.**

**Harry smiled.**

**Ron was more interested in eating the frogs than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards cards, but Harry couldn't keep his eyes off them. Soon he had not only Dumbledore and Morgana, but Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus, and Merlin.**

**Harry wrote Dumbledore, Morgana, Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus and Merlin are all Chocolate Frog Cards.**

**He finally tore his eyes away from the Druidess Cliodna,**

Druidess Cliodna is also a Chocolate Frog Card Harry wrote.

**who was scratching her nose, to open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.**

**'You want to be careful with those,' Ron warned Harry. 'When they say every flavour, they mean every flavour — you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. George reckons he had a booger-flavoured one once.'**

**Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a corner.**

**'Bleaaargh — see? Sprouts.'**

**They had a good time eating the Every Flavour Beans. Harry got toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine, and was even brave enough to nibble the end off a funny gray one Ron wouldn't touch, which turned out to be pepper.**

'Those sound good,' Harry said.

**The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills.**

**There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy Harry had passed on platform nine and three-quarters came in. He looked tearful.**

**'Sorry,' he said, 'but have you seen a toad at all?'**

**When they shook their heads, he wailed, 'I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!'**

**'He'll turn up,' said Harry.**

**'Yes,' said the boy miserably. 'Well, if you see him…'**

**He left.**

'You know you should tell Neville to ask an older student to summon the frog for him.

'Okay,' Harry said and wrote tell Neville to ask an older student to summon the frog for him.

**'Don't know why he's so bothered,' said Ron. 'If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk.'**

**The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap.**

**'He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference,' said Ron in disgust. 'I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look…'**

**He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end.**

**'Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway —'**

**He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toadless boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.**

**'Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one,' she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.**

**'We've already told him we haven't seen it,' said Ron,but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand.**

**'Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then.'**

**She sat down. Ron looked taken aback.**

**'Er — all right.'**

**He cleared his throat.**

**'Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow.'**

'The twins tricked him into thinking that it's a real spell,' Nicolas said.

'What do you mean,' Harry asked.

'All spells are said in Latin,' Perenelle said, 'and the twins told him a spell in English.'

'Oh,' Harry said and wrote all spells are said in Latin.

**He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed gray and fast asleep.**

**'Are you sure that's a real spell?' said the girl.**

'That's where you should step in and say his twin brother's tricked him into thinking it was one,' Nicolas said.

'Okay,' Harry said and wrote step in when a girl that comes in with Neville says are you sure that's a real spell to Ron and say that his twin brothers tricked him into thinking it was one.

**'Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all,**

'So she's a Muggle born like my Mom,' Harry said.

**it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard —**

'I wonder how many she's heard of,' Harry said and wrote how many did you hear is what I ask to the girl who comes in with Neville.

**I've learned all our course books by heart of course I just hope it will be enough —**

'It will be,' Nicolas and Perenelle said.

**I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?'**

**She said all this very fast.**

**Harry looked at Ron, and was relieved to see by his stunned face that he hadn't learned all, the course books by heart either.**

**'I'm Ron Weasley,' Ron muttered.**

**'Harry Potter,' said Harry.**

**'Are you really?' said Hermione.**

**'I know all about you, of course — I got a few extra books, for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century.'**

'I'd rather get them then have somebody tell me what happened,' Harry said.

**'Am I?' said Harry, feeling dazed.**

**'Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me,' said Hermione. 'Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best;**

'So now my book self knows that there is a Gryffindor house,' Harry said.

**I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad…**

'Now my book self knows that there is a Ravenclaw house,' Harry said.

**Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon.'**

And she left, taking the toadless boy with her.

**'Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it,' said Ron. He threw his wand back into his trunk. 'Stupid spell — George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud.'**

**'What house are your brothers in?' asked Harry.**

**'Gryffindor,' said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. 'Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin.'**

**'That's the house Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who was in?'**

**'Yeah,' said Ron. He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.**

**'You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lighter,' said Harry, trying to take Ron's mind off houses.**

**'So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway?'**

**Harry was wondering what a wizard did once he'd finished school.**

**'Charlie's in Romania studying dragons, and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts,' said Ron.**

'Curse breaker,' Nicolas said.

'Oh,' Harry said, 'what's that?'

'Bill would be asked to break curses in ancient tombs to bring back lots of gold to Gringotts,' Perenelle said, 'and it is a very dangerous and serious profession where one could be killed as a result of an old curse, a jinx or a hex.'

'A curse is a type of spell that causes negative effects like harm, control or kill, a hex is a type of spell that is typically meant to cause a certain degree of pain or discomfort or a jinx which is a type of spell that causes negative effects used mostly for the amusement of observers and the minor discomfort of the victim,' Nicolas said.

'Oh,' Harry said, 'that doesn't sound like something I would want to do.'

**'Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the Daily Prophet, but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles — someone tried to rob a high security vault.'**

Nicolas and Perenelle exchanged a look thinking that it had something to do with the Philosopher's Stone that they were still thinking about putting into Gringotts.

**Harry stared.**

**'Really? What happened to them?'**

**'Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught.**

'They should be,' all three of them said.

**My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it.'**

**Harry turned this news over in his mind. He was starting to get a prickle of fear every time You-Know-Who was mentioned.**

'That's why we use the name Voldemort,' Nicolas said.

**He supposed this was all part of entering the magical world,**

'Albus says Voldemort too,' Perenelle said.

'Oh,' Harry said.

**but it had been a lot more comfortable saying 'Voldemort' without worrying.**

**'What's your Quidditch team?' Ron asked.**

'Will that be in Quidditch Through the Ages,' Harry asked.

'Yes,' Perenelle said.

'Okay,' Harry said and wrote Quidditch teams will be in Quidditch Through the Ages.

**'Er — I don't know any.' Harry confessed.**

**'What!' Ron looked dumbfounded. 'Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world —' And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money. He was just taking Harry through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Neville the toadless boy, or Hermione Granger this time.**

'Oh no,' Harry said reading ahead.

**Three boys entered, and Harry recognized the middle one at once: it was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop.**

**He was looking at Harry with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.**

'That's because he knows who you are now,' Perenelle said.

**'Is it true?' he said. 'They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment.**

'So either Hermione Granger or Neville told everyone,' Harry said.

**So it's you, is it?'**

**'Yes,' said Harry. He was looking at the other boys. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.**

'Like a gang of bullies,' Harry said, 'just like Dudley's.'

**'Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle,' said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. 'And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy.'**

'Now I have name to match the description,' Harry said.

**Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him.**

**'Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford.'**

'That is rude,' all three of them said.

**He turned back to Harry. 'You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter.**

'I have,' Harry said.

**You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort.**

'Ron is not the wrong sort,' Harry said, but you are.'

**I can help you there.'**

**He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.**

**'I think I can tell who the wrong sort, are for myself, thanks,' he said coolly.**

**Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks.**

**'I'd be careful if I were you, Potter,' he said slowly. 'Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents.**

Harry gasped as Perenelle and Nicolas said, 'That's cruel to say to somebody.'

**They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you.'**

'The Weasleys and Hagrid are not riffraff,' the three of them said.

**Both Harry and Ron stood up.**

**'Say that again,' Ron said, his face as red as his hair.**

**'Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?' Malfoy sneered.**

**'Unless you get out now,' said Harry, more bravely than he felt, because Crabbe and Goyle were a lot bigger than him or Ron.**

**'But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some.'**

'They want to steal my food,' Harry said annoyed.

**Goyle reached toward the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron — Ron leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touched Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell.**

**Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle –**

'That's got to hurt,' Harry said.

**Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling, and when Scabbers finally flew off and hit the window, all three of them disappeared at once. Perhaps they thought there were more rats lurking among the sweets, or perhaps they'd heard footsteps, because a second later, Hermione Granger had come in.**

'Well at least they left,' Harry said.

**'What has been going on?' she said, looking at the sweets all over the floor and Ron picking up Scabbers by his tail.**

**'I think he's been knocked out,' Ron said to Harry. He looked closer at Scabbers. 'No — I don't believe it — he's gone back to sleep.'**

**And so he had.**

**'You've met Malfoy before?'**

**Harry explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.**

**'I've heard of his family,' said Ron darkly. 'They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side.'**

'What is his name,' Harry asked.

'Lucius,' Perenelle said.

'His wife's name,' Harry asked.

'Narcissa,' Nicolas said.

'Oh,' Harry said.

**He turned to Hermione. 'Can we help you with something?'**

**'You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!'**

**'Scabbers has been fighting, not us,' said Ron, scowling at her. 'Would you mind leaving while we change?'**

**'All right — I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors,' said Hermione in a sniffy voice.**

'I think that she's trying to make friends with you,' Perenelle said.

'Oh,' Harry said and wrote try to become friends with Hermione Granger.

**'And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?'**

**Ron glared at her as she left. Harry peered out of the window. It was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down.**

**He and Ron took off their jackets and pulled on their long black robes. Ron's were a bit short for him you could see his sneakers underneath them.**

**A voice echoed through the train: 'We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train it will be taken to the school separately.'**

'Oh,' Harry said.

**Harry's stomach lurched with nerves and Ron, he saw, looked pale under his freckles. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.**

**The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Harry heard a familiar voice: 'Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?'**

'Yeah,' Harry said.

**Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads. 'C'mon, follow me — any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!'**

**Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.**

**'Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec,' Hagrid called over his shoulder, 'jus' round this bend here.'**

**There was a loud 'Oooooh!'**

**The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.**

'Wow,' Harry said.

**'No more 'n four to a boat!' Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry and Ron were followed into their boat by Neville and Hermione.**

'Maybe he would like to be friends with you too,' Nicolas said.

'Oh,' Harry said and wrote try to become friends with Neville.

**'Everyone in?' shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. 'Right then — FORWARD!'**

**And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass.**

'Wow,' Harry said.

**Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.**

**'Heads down!' yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbour, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.**

**'Oy, you there! Is this your toad?' said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.**

**'Trevor!' cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands.**

'That's a nice name for a toad,' Harry said.

**Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.**

**They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.**

**'Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?'**

**Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.**

'That's the end of the chapter,' Harry said, 'which one of you wants to read?'

'I will,' Perenelle said really wanting to know where Harry was sorted and took the offered book.

'I think we need to go to bed though,' Nicolas said looking at his watch.

Perenelle made a place for Harry to sleep before her and Nicolas made a bed for them both.

* * *

><p>Please review<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

I do not own anyone.

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><p>Perenelle woke Harry up and they both walked to the kitchen to see that Nicolas made food for them.<p>

Once they were done the dishes Perenelle opened the book.

'**The Sorting Hat**,' Perenelle read.

'Is that how they sort us,' Harry asked.

'Yes,' Nicolas said.

'Oh,' Harry said.

**The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face**

'Professor McGonagall,' Harry said.

**And Harry's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.**

**'The firs' years, Professor McGonagall,' said Hagrid.**

**'Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here.'**

**She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit the whole of the Dursleys' house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.**

'I can't wait to see that,' Harry said.

**They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right — the rest of the school must already be here — but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.**

**'Welcome to Hogwarts,' said Professor McGonagall. 'The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.**

**'The four houses are called Gryffindor,**

'Which symbol is that and what do you have to be to get in it,' Harry asked.

'A lion and you have to be brave, chivalrous, and courageous,' Nicolas said.

**Hufflepuff,**

'A badger and you have to be loyal, dependable and hardworking,' Perenelle said.

**Ravenclaw,**

'An eagle and you have to be intelligent, witty and capable,' Nicolas said.

**and Slytherin.**

'A snake and you have to be clever, cunning and determined,' Perenelle said.

**Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours. 'The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting.'**

**Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose.**

**Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair.**

**'I shall return when we are ready for you,' said Professor McGonagall. 'Please wait quietly.'**

**She left the chamber. Harry swallowed.**

**'How exactly do they sort us into houses?' he asked Ron.**

**'Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking.'**

'He was,' Nicolas said.

**Harry's heart gave a horrible jolt, a test, in front of the whole school? But he didn't know any magic yet —what on earth would he have to do? He hadn't expected something like this the moment they arrived.**

**He looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, too. No one was talking much except Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need.**

'She didn't know that either,' Harry said.

**Harry tried hard not to listen to her. He'd never been more nervous, never, not even when he'd had to take a school report home to the Dursleys saying that he'd somehow turned his teacher's wig blue.**

'You used a colour changer charm,' Perenelle said.

'Accidently,' Harry said.

**He kept his eyes fixed on the door. Any second now, Professor McGonagall would come back and lead him to his doom.**

**Then something happened that made him jump about a foot in the air — several people behind him screamed.**

Nicolas and Perenelle smiled knowing that the book was talking about the ghosts in Hogwarts.

**'What the —,' Harry began.**

**He gasped. So did the people around him. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall.**

'Ghosts,' Harry asked.

'People who are afraid of death come back as a ghost,' Nicolas said, 'unless they made horcruxes.'

'Oh,' Harry said.

**Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing.**

**What looked like a fat little monk was saying: 'Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance —'**

**'My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost — I say what are you all doing here?'**

**A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.**

**Nobody answered.**

**'New students!' said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. 'About to be Sorted, I suppose?'**

**A few people nodded mutely.**

**'Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!' said the Friar. 'My old house, you know.'**

**'Move along now,' said a sharp voice, 'the Sorting Ceremony's about to start.'**

**Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.**

**'Now, form a line,' Professor McGonagall told the first years, 'and follow me.'**

**Feeling oddly as though his legs had turned to lead, Harry got into line behind a boy with sandy hair, with Ron behind him, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.**

**Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place.**

**It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver.**

'Wow,' Harry said.

**Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Harry looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. He heard Hermione whisper, 'It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts A History.'**

'That's amazing,' Harry said.

**It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens.**

**Harry quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat.**

'The title,' Harry said.

**This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Aunt Petunia wouldn't have let it in the house.**

**Maybe they had to try and get a rabbit out of it Harry thought wildly,**

'That's Muggles ideas of magic,' Perenelle said.

**That seemed the sort of thing — noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, he stared at it, too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth — and the hat began to sing:**

**'Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,**

**But don't judge on what you see,**

**I'll eat myself if you can find**

**A smarter hat than me**

**You can keep your bowlers black,**

**Your top hats sleek and tall,**

**For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat**

**And I can cap them all.**

**There's nothing hidden in your head**

**The Sorting Hat can't see,**

**So try me on and I will tell you**

**Where you ought to be**

**You might belong in Gryffindor,**

**Where dwell the brave at heart,**

**Their daring, nerve, and chivalry**

**Set Gryffindors apart;**

**You might belong in Hufflepuff,**

**Where they are just and loyal,**

**Those, patient Hufflepuff's are true**

**And unafraid of toil;**

**Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,**

**If you've a ready mind,**

**Where those of wit and learning,**

**Will always find their kind;**

**Or perhaps in Slytherin**

**You'll make your real friends,**

**Those cunning folk use any means**

**To achieve their ends**

**So put me on! Don't be afraid!**

**And don't get in a flap!**

**You're in safe hands (though I have none)**

**For I'm a Thinking Cap'**

'That was a nice song,' Harry said.

**The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.**

**'So we've just got to try on the hat!' Ron whispered to Harry. 'I'll kill Fred he was going on about wrestling a troll.'**

'Nobody would have to wrestle a troll in Hogwarts,' Nicolas said, 'you'd get killed in the process of trying.'

'On,' Harry said.

**Harry smiled weakly. Yes, trying on the hat was a lot better than having to do a spell, but he did wish they could have tried it on without everyone watching.**

'Why's that?' Perenelle asked.

'I'm always picked last,' Harry said.

'Don't worry,' Nicolas said, 'they put you in alphabetical order by your last name.'

'Oh,' Harry said.

**The hat seemed to be asking rather a lot; Harry didn't feel brave or quick-witted or any of it at the moment.**

**If only the hat had mentioned a house for people who felt a bit queasy, that would have been the one for him.**

'Everyone's nervous when they are about to be sorted,' Perenelle said.

**Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.**

**'When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted,' she said. 'Abbott, Hannah!'**

**A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat,**

You put the hat on yourself Harry wrote.

**which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause —**

**'HUFFLEPUFF!' shouted the hat.**

**The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.**

**'Bones, Susan!'**

**'HUFFLEPUFF!' shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.**

**'Boot, Terry!'**

**'RAVENCLAW,' the hat shouted.**

**The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaw's stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.**

**'Brocklehurst, Mandy' went to Ravenclaw too, but 'Brown, Lavender' became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Harry could see Ron's twin brothers catcalling.**

**'Bulstrode, Millicent' then became a Slytherin. Perhaps it was Harry's imagination, after all he'd heard about Slytherin, but he thought they looked like an unpleasant lot.**

'You know,' Nicolas said, 'Black was a Gryffindor.'

'Oh,' Harry said.

'I don't want you to get into Slytherin though,' Perenelle said, 'other wise students like Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle will spy on you and tell their parents what you're doing and pretend to be your friend.'

'They might become your true friend and pretend to spy on you,' Nicolas said, 'but I agree with Perenelle not wanting you to become a Slytherin.'

'Okay,' Harry said and wrote don't become a Slytherin and asked, 'what would happen if I did become one?'

'You'd be pegged as the next Dark Lord,' Perenelle said.

'I don't want that,' Harry said.

**He was starting to feel definitely sick now. He remembered being picked for teams during gym at his old school. He had always been last to be chosen, not because he was no good, but because no one wanted Dudley to think they liked him.**

'Were you good at sports,' Perenelle asked.

'Yeah,' Harry said.

'That's a good thing,' Nicolas said.

**Harry smiled happily at the praise.**

**'Finch-Fletchley, Justin!'**

**'HUFFLEPUFF,' the hat shouted.**

**Sometimes, Harry noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. 'Finnigan, Seamus,' the sandy-haired boy next to Harry in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.**

**'Granger, Hermione!'**

**Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.**

**'GRYFFINDOR!' shouted the hat.**

'She did get one of the houses that she wanted,' Harry said.

**Ron groaned.**

**A horrible thought struck Harry, as horrible thoughts always do when you're very nervous. What if he wasn't chosen at all?**

'You will be Harry,' Perenelle said.

**What if he just sat there with the hat over his eyes for ages, until Professor McGonagall jerked it off his head and said there had obviously been a mistake and he'd better get back on the train?**

'You wouldn't have received an invitation if there was a mistake,' Nicolas said.

**When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool.**

'That's not a pleasant thing to do,' Harry said remembering all the times he was tripped.

**The hat took a long time to decide with Neville.**

**When it finally shouted, 'GRYFFINDOR,' Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to 'MacDougal, Morag.'**

**Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, 'SLYTHERIN!'**

**Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with him self.**

'So those three are Slytherin's,' Harry said.

**There weren't many people left now. 'Moon'…, 'Nott'…, 'Parkinson'…, then a pair of twin girls, 'Patil' and 'Patil'…, then 'Perks, Sally-Anne'…,**

**And then, at last —**

**'Potter, Harry!'**

**As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.**

**'Potter, did she say?'**

**'The Harry Potter,'**

'I don't want people whispering about me,' Harry said sadly knowing he wouldn't have a choice in the matter.

**The last thing Harry saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at him.**

'I don't want people looking at me either,' Harry said sadly knowing it would happen.

**Next second he was looking at the black inside of the hat. He waited.**

**'Hmm,' said a small voice in his ear. 'Difficult. Very difficult, plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, A my goodness, yes — and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting… So where shall I put you?'**

**Harry gripped the edges of the stool and thought, Not Slytherin, not Slytherin.**

**'Not Slytherin, eh?' said the small voice. 'Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that — no? Well, if you're sure — better be GRYFFINDOR!'**

'Yes,' Harry said as Nicolas and Perenelle clapped for him.

**Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. He took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table. He was so relieved to have been chosen**

'Or last,' Harry said.

**and not put in Slytherin; he hardly noticed that he was getting the loudest cheer yet. Percy the Prefect got up and shook his hand vigorously, while the Weasley twins yelled, 'We got Potter! We got Potter!'**

'Loudest cheer,' Harry said.

**Harry sat down opposite the ghost in the ruff he'd seen earlier. The ghost patted his arm, giving Harry the sudden, horrible feeling he'd just plunged it into a bucket of ice-cold water.**

'That doesn't sound like a good feeling,' Harry said.

**He could see the High Table properly now. At the end nearest him sat Hagrid, who caught his eye and gave him the thumbs up. Harry grinned back.**

'Which house was he when he went to school,' Harry asked.

'Gryffindor,' Nicolas said.

**And there, in the center of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore. Harry recognized him at once from the card he'd gotten out of the Chocolate Frog on the train. Dumbledore's silver hair was the only thing in the whole hall that shone as brightly as the ghosts.**

**Harry spotted Professor Quirrell, too, the nervous young man from the Leaky Cauldron. He was looking very peculiar in a large purple turban.**

'He wasn't wearing that in Diagon Alley,' Harry said.

'Then why is he now,' Nicolas and Perenelle wondered out loud.

**And now there were only three people left to be sorted. 'Thomas, Dean,' a Black boy even taller than Ron, joined Harry at the Gryffindor table.**

**'Turpin, Lisa,' became a Ravenclaw and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now.**

**Harry crossed his fingers under the table and a second later the hat had shouted, 'GRYFFINDOR!'**

'So Ron and Hermione are in the same house,' Harry said, 'along with me and Neville.'

'Neville and I,' Perenelle corrected.

'Yes I'm sorry,' Harry said, 'I meant Neville and I.'

**Harry clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to him.**

**'Well done, Ron, excellent,' said Percy Weasley pompously across Harry as 'Zabini, Blaise,' was made a Slytherin. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.**

'Which house were you two in,' Harry asked.

'Ravenclaw,' Perenelle and Nicolas answered in unison.

'Oh,' Harry said.

**Harry looked down at his empty gold plate. He had only just realized how hungry he was. The pumpkin pasties seemed ages ago.**

**Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.**

**'Welcome,' he said. 'Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! 'Thank you!'**

'He sounds a bit mad,' Harry said.

'A bit I suppose,' Perenelle said.

**He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Harry didn't know whether to laugh or not.**

**'Is he — a bit mad?' he asked Percy uncertainly.**

**'Mad?' said Percy airily. 'He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Harry?'**

**Harry's mouth fell open.**

**The dishes in front of him were now piled with food. He had never seen so many things he liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs.**

'That sounds delicious,' Harry said as his mouth was watering, 'I never had peppermint humbugs.'

'I'll make some for lunch in a few chapters,' Perenelle said.

**Harry's mouth was watering.**

**The Dursleys had never exactly starved Harry, but he'd never been allowed to eat as much as he liked. Dudley had always taken anything that Harry really wanted, even if it made him sick.**

'Brat,' Perenelle and Nicolas hissed.

**Harry piled his plate with a bit of everything except the peppermints and began to eat. It was all delicious.**

'Peppermint humbugs are good,' Nicolas said.

'I like them too,' Perenelle said.

**'That does look good,' said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching Harry cut up his steak.**

**'Can't you —?'**

**'I haven't eaten for nearly five hundred years,' said the ghost. 'I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it.**

**I don't think I've introduced myself, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service, resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower.'**

**'I know who you are!' said Ron suddenly. 'My brothers told me about you — you're Nearly Headless Nick!'**

**'I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy —' the ghost began stiffly, but sandy-haired Seamus Finnigan interrupted.**

**'Nearly Headless, How can you be nearly headless?'**

**Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted.**

**'Like this,' he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge.**

'Yuck,' all three said.

**Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly. Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said, 'So — new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row!**

**The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable — he's the Slytherin ghost.'**

**Harry looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood.**

**He was right next to Malfoy who, Harry was pleased to see, didn't look too pleased with the seating arrangements.**

**'How did he get covered in blood?' asked Seamus with great interest.**

**'I've never asked,' said Nearly Headless Nick delicately.**

**When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavour you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding…**

'Those sound good,' Harry said.

**As Harry helped himself to a treacle tart, the talk turned to their families.**

**'I'm half-and-half,' said Seamus. 'Me dad's a Muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him.'**

'At least he stayed with her,' Harry said.

The others laughed.

**'What about you, Neville?' said Ron.**

**'Well, my Gran brought me up and she's a witch,' said Neville, 'but the family thought I was all-Squib for ages.**

'What's a Squib,' Harry asked.

'A person with at least one magical parent with no magical powers,' Perenelle said.

'Oh,' Harry said and wrote Squib mean a person with at least one magical parent with no magical powers.

**My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me — he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned —**

'That was mean,' all three said.

**but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced — all the way down the garden and into the road.**

'What if he was a Squib,' Harry asked.

'I imagine that he would have died,' Nicolas said.

**They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here — they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad.'**

'That's nice,' Harry said.

**On Harry's other side, Percy Weasley and Hermione were talking about lessons ('I do hope they start right away, there's so much to learn, I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else, of course, it's supposed to be very difficult —'; 'You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing — ').**

'That sounds like a fun subject,' Harry said.

**Harry, who was starting to feel warm and sleepy, looked up at the High Table again. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin.**

'Professor Snape,' Nicolas said as Harry opened his mouth.

**It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban straight into Harry's eyes — and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Harry's forehead.**

Harry gasped as Nicolas and Perenelle exchanged looks and wondered if it had something to do with Quirrell's turban.

**'Ouch!' Harry clapped a hand to his head.**

**'What is it?' asked Percy.**

**'N-nothing' Harry said.**

'You need to tell Albus,' Nicolas said.

Tell Professor Dumbledore when my scar is hurting Harry wrote.

The pain had gone as quickly as it had come. Harder to shake off was the feeling Harry had **gotten from the teacher's look — a feeling that he didn't like Harry at all.**

**'Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?' he asked Percy.**

**'Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to — everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job, knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape.'**

'Why doesn't Professor Snape get it,' Harry asked.

'The job is jinxed,' Perenelle said.

'And Albus was Severus around,' Nicolas said.

'Oh,' Harry said.

**Harry watched Snape for a while, but Snape didn't look at him again.**

**At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.**

**'Ahem — just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered.**

'That sounds like we're horses,' Harry said.

**I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. 'First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well.' Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins. 'I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. 'Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.****And finally, I must tell you that this year the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death.'**

'Is he serious,' Harry asked.

'Yes,' Nicolas and Perenelle said, 'it has something to do with the Stone.'

'Oh,' Harry said.

**Harry laughed, but he was one of the few who did.**

**'He's not serious?' he muttered to Percy.**

**'Must be,' said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore. 'It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere — the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least.'**

'The prefects don't need to know that,' Nicolas said.

**'And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!' cried Dumbledore. Harry noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.**

Ask the teachers' do you like the school song Harry wrote.

**Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.**

'Wow,' Harry said.

**'Everyone pick their favourite tune,' said Dumbledore, 'and off we go!'**

**And the school bellowed:**

**'Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,**

**Teach us something please,**

**Whether we be old and bald**

**Or young with scabby knees,**

**Our heads could do with filling**

**With some interesting stuff,**

**For now they're bare and full of air,**

**Dead flies and bits of fluff,**

**So teach us things worth knowing,**

**Bring back what we've forgot,**

**Just do your best, we'll do the rest,**

**And learn until our brains all rot.'**

'That's a lot of learning,' Harry said.

**Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.**

**'Ah, music,' he said, wiping his eyes. 'A magic beyond all we do here, and now, bedtime. Off you trot!'**

'Again with the horses,' Harry said.

**The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Harry's legs were like lead again, but only because he was so tired and full of food. He was too sleepy even to be surprised that the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed,**

'Wow,' Harry said

**Or that twice Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries.**

'Cool,' Harry said.

**They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and Harry was just wondering how much farther they had to go when they came to a sudden halt.**

**A bundle of walking sticks was floating in midair ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.**

'That's not nice,' Perenelle said.

**'Peeves,' Percy whispered to the first years, 'a poltergeist.' He raised his voice, 'Peeves — show yourself.'**

**A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.**

**'Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?'**

**There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross-legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.**

**'Oooooooh!' he said, with an evil cackle, 'ickle Firsties, what fun!'**

**He swooped suddenly at them. They all ducked.**

**'Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!' barked Percy.**

**Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head.**

'Ouch,' Harry said.

**They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armor as he passed.**

**'You want to watch out for Peeves,' said Percy, as they set off again. 'The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects.**

Peeves the poltergeist only listens to the Bloody Baron Harry wrote.

**Here we are.'**

**At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.**

**'Password?' she said.**

**'Caput Draconis,' said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it — Neville needed a leg up — and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.**

**Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase — they were obviously in one of the towers — they found their beds at last: five four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pyjamas and fell into bed.**

**'Great food, isn't it?' Ron muttered to Harry through the hangings. 'Get off, Scabbers! He's chewing my sheets.'**

**Harry was going to ask Ron if he'd had any of the treacle tart, but he fell asleep almost at once.**

**Perhaps Harry had eaten a bit too much, because he had a very strange dream. He was wearing Professor Quirrell's turban, which kept talking to him,**

'Talking,' all three asked.

**telling him he must transfer to Slytherin at once, because it was his destiny.**

'It isn't my destiny,' Harry said and then asked, 'is it?'

'No Harry it isn't,' Perenelle and Nicolas said.

'Okay,' Harry said.

**Harry told the turban he didn't want to be in Slytherin; it got heavier and heavier; he tried to pull it off but it tightened painfully —**

'That is strange,' Harry said.

**And there was Malfoy, laughing at him as he struggled with it — then Malfoy turned into the hook-nosed teacher, Snape, whose laugh became high and cold — there was a burst of green light**

All three shivered.

**And Harry woke, sweating and shaking. He rolled over and fell asleep again, and when he woke next day, he didn't remember the dream at all.**

'That's the end of the chapter,' Perenelle said, 'here you go.'

'Thanks,' Nicolas said taking the offered book.

* * *

><p>Please review.<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

I do not own anyone.

* * *

><p>'<strong>The Potions Master<strong>,' Nicolas read.

'That's Professor Snape,' Harry said wondering how the man's subject would be like.

**"There, look."**

**"Where?"**

**"Next to the tall kid with the red hair."**

**"Wearing the glasses?"**

**"Did you see his face?"**

**"Did you see his scar?"**

'I don't like that whispering,' Harry said, 'and I imagine that I'm trying to find my way to classes.'

**Whispers followed Harry from the moment he left his dormitory the next day. People lining up outside classrooms stood on tiptoe to get a look at him, or doubled back to pass him in the corridors again, staring.**

'I'm glad that I didn't grow up in the wizarding world,' Harry said.

**Harry wished they wouldn't, because he was trying to concentrate on finding his way to classes.**

'That's what I thought,' Harry said.

**There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts:**

'That's a lot,' Harry said.

**wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending. It was also very hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot.**

**The people in the portraits kept going to visit each other, and Harry was sure the coats of armor could walk.**

'They can,' Perenelle said.

'Oh,' Harry said.

**The ghosts didn't help, either. It was always a nasty shock when one of them glided suddenly through a door you were trying to open. Nearly Headless Nick was always happy to point new Gryffindors in the right direction,**

Ask Nearly Headless Nick for directions Harry wrote.

**but Peeves the Poltergeist was worth two locked doors and a trick staircase if you met him when you were late for class.**

**He would drop wastepaper baskets on your head, pull rugs from under your feet, pelt you with bits of chalk, or sneak up behind you, invisible, grab your nose, and screech, "GOT YOUR CONK!"**

'He doesn't sound very nice,' Harry said and then wrote watch out for Peeves.

**Even worse than Peeves, if that was possible, was the caretaker, Argus Filch. Harry and Ron managed to get on the wrong side of him on their very first morning.**

'What,' Harry asked.

**Filch found them trying to force their way through a door that unluckily turned out to be the entrance to the out-of-bounds corridor on the third floor.**

'Oh,' Harry said.

**He wouldn't believe they were lost, was sure they were trying to break into it on purpose, and was threatening to lock them in the dungeons when they were rescued by Professor Quirrell, who was passing.**

'That's nice of him,' Nicolas said.

**Filch owned a cat called Mrs. Norris, a scrawny, dust-coloured creature with bulging, lamp like eyes just like Filch's. She patrolled the corridors alone. Break a rule in front of her, put just one toe out of line, and she'd whisk off for Filch, who'd appear, wheezing, two seconds later.**

'You shouldn't break rules anyway,' Perenelle said.

'I'll remember that Perenelle,' Harry said and wrote don't break rules.

**Filch knew the secret passageways of the school better than anyone (except perhaps the Weasley twins)**

'Why would the twins know,' Harry asked.

'Don't know,' Nicolas said.

**and could pop up as suddenly as any of the ghosts. The students all hated him, and it was the dearest ambition of many to give Mrs. Norris a good kick.**

'Don't you dare,' Perenelle said.

'Okay I won't,' Harry said gulping and wrote don't kick Mrs Norris a kick.

**And then, once you had managed to find them, there were the classes themselves. There was a lot more to magic, as Harry quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few funny words.**

'Wow,' Harry said.

**They had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Wednesday at midnight and learn the names of different stars and the movements of the planets.**

'Which subject is that,' Harry asked.

'Astrology,' Nicolas said.

**Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout, where they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi, and found out what they were used for. Easily the most boring class was History of Magic, which was the only one taught by a ghost. Professor Binns had been very old indeed when he had fallen asleep in front of the staff room fire and got up next morning to teach, leaving his body behind him. Binns droned on and on while they scribbled down names and dates, and got Emetic the Evil and Uric the Oddball mixed up.**

'History of Magic is not boring,' Nicolas said as Perenelle said, 'You better pay attention in that class if you expect to get into your second year.'

'Yes Perenelle,' Harry said writing pay attention in History of Magic.

**Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk.**

**At the start of their first class he took the roll call, and when he reached Harry's name he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of sight.**

'Even teachers,' Harry said.

**Professor McGonagall was again different. Harry had been quite right to think she wasn't a teacher to cross. Strict and clever, she gave them a talking-to the moment they sat down in her first class.**

**"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."**

'That means all classes,' Perenelle said.

'Okay,' Harry said and wrote don't mess around in classes.

**Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again.**

'Cool,' Harry said, 'but I suppose I need to know the basics before I can do that.'

'Yes you do,' Nicolas said.

**They were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realized they weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time.**

**After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson, only Hermione Granger had made any difference to her match; Professor McGonagall showed the class how it had gone all silver and pointy and gave Hermione a rare smile.**

**The class everyone had really been looking forward to was Defence Against the Dark Arts, but Quirrell's lessons turned out to be a bit of a joke. His classroom smelled strongly of garlic, which everyone said was to ward off a vampire he'd met in Romania and was afraid would be coming back to get him one of these days.**

'Why would a classroom smell of garlic,' Nicolas said.

**His turban, he told them, had been given to him by an African prince as a thank-you for getting rid of a troublesome zombie,**

'Yeah right,' Perenelle said, 'and why is his turban mentioned again?'

'I don't know love but we will find out in the end of this book,' Nicolas said.

'I hope so,' Perenelle said.

**but they weren't sure they believed this story. For one thing, when Seamus Finnigan asked eagerly to hear how Quirrell had fought off the zombie, Quirrell went pink and started talking about the weather; for another, they had noticed that a funny smell hung around the turban,**

'A turban shouldn't have a smell,' Nicolas said.

**and the Weasley twins insisted that it was stuffed full of garlic as well, so that Quirrell was protected wherever he went.**

**Harry was very relieved to find out that he wasn't miles behind everyone else. Lots of people had come from Muggle families and, like him, hadn't had any idea that they were witches and wizards. There was so much to learn that even people like Ron didn't have much of a head start.**

**Friday was an important day for Harry and Ron. They finally managed to find their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast without getting lost once.**

'That's good,' Harry said.

**"What have we got today?" Harry asked Ron as he poured sugar on his porridge.**

'Look at your own schedule and then you'll know,' Perenelle said.

Look at my schedule so I know what classes I have Harry wrote.

**"Double Potions with the Slytherins," said Ron. "Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favours them — we'll be able to see if it's true."**

**"Wish McGonagall favoured us," said Harry.**

**Professor McGonagall was head of Gryffindor House, but it hadn't stopped her from giving them a huge pile of homework the day before.**

**Just then, the mail arrived. Harry had gotten used to this by now, but it had given him a bit of a shock on the first morning, when about a hundred owls had suddenly streamed into the Great Hall during breakfast, circling the tables until they saw their owners, and dropping letters and packages onto their laps.**

'Wow,' Harry said.

**Hedwig hadn't brought Harry anything so far. She sometimes flew in to nibble his ear and have a bit of toast before going off to sleep in the owlery with the other school owls.**

**This morning, however, she fluttered down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped a note onto Harry's plate.**

**Harry tore it open at once. It said, in a very untidy scrawl:**

_**Dear Harry,**_

_**I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three?**_

_**I want to hear all about your first week. Send us an answer back with Hedwig.**_

_**Hagrid**_

**Harry borrowed Ron's quill, scribbled**_**Yes, please, see you later**_**on the back of the note, and sent Hedwig off again.**

'I suggest that you take a quill everywhere you go,' Perenelle said.

'Okay,' Harry said and wrote take a quill everywhere I go.

**It was lucky that Harry had tea with Hagrid to look forward to, because the Potions lesson turned out to be the worst thing that had happened to him so far.**

'Why,' Harry asked.

**At the start-of-term banquet, Harry had gotten the idea that Professor Snape disliked him. By the end of the first Potions lesson, he knew he'd been wrong. Snape didn't dislike Harry — he**_**hated**_**him.**

'Oh,' Harry said sadly, 'I wonder why?'

'I don't know Harry,' Perenelle said, 'we'll figure it out.'

'I hope so,' Harry said.

**Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.**

**Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name.**

**"Ah, Yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new —**_**celebrity**_**."**

'A celebrity wants their fame,' Harry said, 'so therefore I am not one because I hate fame.'

'Good answer,' Nicolas said, 'just don't, back talk to any teacher.'

'Okay,' Harry said and wrote don't back talk to teachers.

**Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Hagrid's, but they had none of Hagrid's warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels.**

'I don't like that description,' Harry said.

**"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word — like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort.**

**"As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses… I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death —**

'Impressive speech,' Harry said.

'Up till that point,' Nicolas said and continued reading.

**if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."**

'Oh,' Harry said.

**More silence followed this little speech. Harry and Ron exchanged looks with raised eyebrows. Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead.**

**"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"**

'That is not taught until the middle of the first year,' Nicolas said as Perenelle said, 'They make a sleeping potion so powerful that it is known as the Draught of Living Death.'

Asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful that it is known as the Draught of Living Death Harry wrote.

_**Powdered root of what to an infusion of what**_**? Harry glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was; Hermione's hand had shot into the air.**

**"I don't know, sir," said Harry.**

**Snape's lips curled into a sneer.**

**"Tut, tut — fame clearly isn't everything."**

Harry put his head down and quietly said, 'I didn't know I would be quizzed the first day.'

'Teacher's aren't supposed to,' Perenelle said.

**He ignored Hermione's hand.**

'That's rude,' Harry said, 'seeing as she must know the answer.'

**"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"**

'That's not taught until the end of the year,' Perenelle said as Nicolas said, 'A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and will save you from most potions.'

A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and will save you from most potions Harry wrote.

**Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat, but Harry didn't have the faintest idea what a bezoar was. He tried not to look at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were shaking with laughter.**

**"I don't know, sir."**

**"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?"**

'My book self did,' Harry said, 'but I can't be expected to remember everything like Hermione.'

'We'll quiz you everyday,' Perenelle said.

'I hope that will work,' Harry said.

**Harry forced himself to keep looking straight into those cold eyes. He had looked through his books at the Dursleys', but did Snape expect him to remember everything in**_**One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi**_**?**

'Apparently,' Harry said.

**Snape was still ignoring Hermione's quivering hand.**

**"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"**

'At least that is taught in the beginning of the year,' Nicolas said as Perenelle said, 'That's a trick question because they are the same plant which also goes by the name of aconite.'

Monkshood and wolfsbane are the same plant which also goes by the name aconite Harry wrote.

**At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling.**

'That poor girl,' Perenelle said.

**"I don't know," said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"**

**A few people laughed; Harry caught Seamus' eye, and Seamus winked. Snape, however, was not pleased.**

**"Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"**

'You never said to,' all three said in unison.

**There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."**

'I did talk back,' Harry said.

**Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Malfoy, whom he seemed to like.**

**He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon.**

'Oh dear,' Perenelle said.

**Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus' cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.**

**"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"**

Tell Neville to take the cauldron off the fire before adding the porcupine quills for a potion called cure boils Harry wrote.

**Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose.**

**"Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Neville. "You — Potter — why didn't you tell him not to add the quills?**

'I was working on my own potion,' Harry said.

**Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."**

**This was so unfair that Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Ron kicked him behind their cauldron.**

**"Don't push it," he muttered, "I've heard Snape can turn very nasty."**

**As they climbed the steps out of the dungeon an hour later, Harry's mind was racing and his spirits were low. He'd lost two points for Gryffindor in his very first week****—**_**why**_**did Snape hate him so much?**

'In time you'll find out,' Nicolas said.

'Okay,' Harry said softly.

**"Cheer up," said Ron, "Snape's always taking points off Fred and George. Can I come and meet Hagrid with you?"**

'He doesn't need to ask,' Harry said.

**At five to three they left the castle and made their way across the grounds. Hagrid lived in a small wooden house on the edge of the forbidden forest. A crossbow and a pair of galoshes were outside the front door.**

**When Harry knocked they heard a frantic scrabbling from inside and several booming barks. Then Hagrid's voice rang out, saying, "**_**Back**_**, Fang —**_**back**_**."**

'Fang,' Harry asked.

'A dog,' Perenelle said.

**Hagrid's big, hairy face appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open.**

**"Hang on," he said. "**_**Back**_**, Fang."**

**He let them in, struggling to keep a hold on the collar of an enormous black boarhound.**

**There was only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it.**

'That's a nice place,' Harry said.

**"Make yer selves at home," said Hagrid, letting go of Fang, who bounded straight at Ron and started licking his ears. Like Hagrid, Fang was clearly not as fierce as he looked.**

**"This is Ron," Harry told Hagrid, who was pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a plate.**

**"Another Weasley, eh?" said Hagrid, glancing at Ron's freckles.**

'That's not going to help his insecurity issues,' Harry said.

'No it isn't,' Perenelle said and wrote tell Hagrid not to say another Weasley, eh?

**"I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest."**

**The rock cakes were shapeless lumps with raisins that almost broke their teeth, but Harry and Ron pretended to be enjoying them as they told Hagrid all about their first lessons.**

'Maybe you should kindly point out that the rock cakes hurt your teeth,' Perenelle said, 'maybe Hagrid could find a better way to make them.'

Kindly point out that the rock cakes hurt my teeth to Hagrid Harry wrote.

**Fang rested his head on Harry's knee and drooled all over his robes.**

**Harry and Ron were delighted to hear Hagrid call Filch "that old git."**

**"An' as fer that cat, Mrs. Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang sometime. D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her — Filch puts her up to it."**

**Harry told Hagrid about Snape's lesson. Hagrid, like Ron, told Harry not to worry about it, that Snape liked hardly any of the students.**

**"But he seemed to really**_**hate**_**me."**

**"Rubbish!" said Hagrid. "Why should he?"**

**Yet Harry couldn't help thinking that Hagrid didn't quite meet his eyes when he said that.**

'Why is that,' Harry asked.

'He knows why,' Perenelle said.

**"How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid asked Ron. "I liked him a lot — great with animals."**

'But as you can see,' Nicolas said, 'he likes to change the subject.'

**Harry wondered if Hagrid had changed the subject on purpose. While Ron told Hagrid all about Charlie's work with dragons, Harry picked up a piece of paper that was lying on the table under the tea cozy. It was a cutting from the**_**Daily Prophet**_**:**

_**GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST**_

Nicolas and Perenelle exchanged looks knowing it has something to do with the stone as Harry said, 'Maybe they wanted the stone.'

'Maybe,' Nicolas and Perenelle said.

_Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July,_

'I went to Diagon Alley that day,' Harry said, 'and Hagrid emptied a vault then.'

Nicolas and Perenelle exchanged looks figuring that the person didn't take the stone and that it was safe at Hogwarts.

_**widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown. Gringotts goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day.**_

'It was Hagrid,' Harry said.

**"**_**But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you," said a Gringotts spokes goblin this afternoon.**_

**Harry remembered Ron telling him on the train that someone had tried to rob Gringotts, but Ron hadn't mentioned the date.**

**"Hagrid!" said Harry, "that Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"**

'It was after we left,' Harry guessed.

'Probably,' Nicolas and Perenelle said.

**There was no doubt about it, Hagrid definitely didn't meet Harry's eyes this time. He grunted and offered him another rock cake. Harry read the story again.**_**The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied earlier that same day.**_**Hagrid had emptied vault seven hundred and thirteen, if you could call it emptying, taking out that grubby little package. Had that been what the thieves were looking for?**

'Yes,' all three said in unison.

**As Harry and Ron walked back to the castle for dinner, their pockets weighed down with rock cakes they'd been too polite to refuse, Harry thought that none of the lessons he'd had so far had given him as much to think about as tea with Hagrid. Had Hagrid collected that package just in time?**

'Yes,' Perenelle said.

**Where was it now?**

'Hogwarts,' Nicolas said.

**And did Hagrid know something about Snape that he didn't want to tell Harry?**

'Maybe,' Harry said.

'That's the end of the chapter,' Nicolas said, 'here you go.'

'Thanks,' Harry said taking the offered book.

* * *

><p>Please Review<p> 


	11. Chapter 11

I do not own anyone.

* * *

><p>'<strong>The Midnight Duel<strong>,' Harry read, 'what's a duel?'

'Two or more people duel with their wands and there is a second to take over if one dies which is only when in a witch or wizard that's out of school,' Nicolas said, 'but you won't be able to duel when you've only been at school for a while.'

'And it sounds like a trap so that you would be caught' Perenelle said, 'so don't even go.'

'Yes Perenelle,' Harry said and wrote don't accept a duel in my first year.

**Harry had never believed he would meet a boy he hated more than Dudley, but that was before he met Draco Malfoy.**

'That is hard to believe,' Harry said.

**Still, first-year Gryffindors only had Potions with the Slytherins, so they didn't have to put up with Malfoy much.**

**Or at least, they didn't until they spotted a notice pinned up in the Gryffindor common room that made them all groan. Flying lessons would be starting on Thursday — and Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together.**

'I get to learn how to fly,' Harry said.

**"Typical," said Harry darkly. "Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy."**

**He had been looking forward to learning to fly more than anything else.**

**"You don't know that you'll make a fool of yourself," said Ron reasonably. "Anyway, I know Malfoy's always going on about how good he is at Quidditch, but I bet that's all talk."**

**Malfoy certainly did talk about flying a lot. He complained loudly about first years never getting on the house Quidditch teams and told long, boastful stories that always seemed to end with him narrowly escaping Muggles in helicopters.**

'That doesn't sound right,' Harry said.

**He wasn't the only one, though: the way Seamus Finnigan told it, he'd spent most of his childhood zooming around the countryside on his broomstick. Even Ron would tell anyone who'd listen about the time he'd almost hit a hang glider on Charlie's old broom. Everyone from wizarding families talked about Quidditch constantly.**

**Ron had already had a big argument with Dean Thomas, who shared their dormitory, about soccer. Ron couldn't see what was exciting about a game with only one ball where no one was allowed to fly.**

**Harry had caught Ron prodding Dean's poster of West Ham soccer team, trying to make the players move.**

'That won't work,' Harry said.

**Neville had never been on a broomstick in his life, because his grandmother had never let him near one. Privately, Harry felt she'd had good reason, because Neville managed to have an extraordinary number of accidents even with both feet on the ground.**

'That's not a nice thing to think,' Perenelle said.

'Yes Perenelle,' Harry said.

**Hermione Granger was almost as nervous about flying as Neville was.**

**This was something you couldn't learn by heart out of a book — not that she hadn't tried. At breakfast on Thursday she bored them all stupid with flying tips she'd gotten out of a library book called**_**Quidditch Through the Ages**_**.**

**Neville was hanging on to her every word, desperate for anything that might help him hang on to his broomstick later, but everybody else was very pleased when Hermione's lecture was interrupted by the arrival of the mail.**

**Harry hadn't had a single letter since Hagrid's note, something that Malfoy had been quick to notice, of course. Malfoy's eagle owl was always bringing him packages of sweets from home, which he opened gloatingly at the Slytherin table.**

'We'll write to you,' Perenelle said, 'and you can write to us as well.'

'Thank you,' Harry said.

**A barn owl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them a glass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke.**

**"It's a Remembrall!" he explained. "Gran knows I forget things — this tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight like this and if it turns red — oh…" His face fell, because the Remembrall had suddenly glowed scarlet, "… you've forgotten something…"**

'Doesn't it tell you what you forgot,' Harry asked.

'No it doesn't,' Nicolas said.

**Neville was trying to remember what he'd forgotten when Draco Malfoy, who was passing the Gryffindor table, snatched the Remembrall out of his hand.**

**Harry and Ron jumped to their feet. They were half hoping for a reason to fight Malfoy,**

'I don't want you fighting,' Perenelle said.

'Yes Perenelle,' Harry said.

**but Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble quicker than any teacher in the school, was there in a flash.**

**"What's going on?"**

**"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor."**

**Scowling, Malfoy quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table.**

**"Just looking," he said, and he sloped away with Crabbe and Goyle behind him.**

'Looking doesn't mean taking,' Harry said.

**At three-thirty that afternoon, Harry, Ron, and the other Gryffindors hurried down the front steps onto the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day, and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns toward a smooth, flat lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the forbidden forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance.**

**The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Harry had heard Fred and George Weasley complain about the school brooms, saying that some of them started to vibrate if you flew too high, or always flew slightly to the left.**

**Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, gray hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk.**

**"Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."**

**Harry glanced down at his broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles.**

**"Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!'"**

**"UP" everyone shouted.**

**Harry's broom jumped into his hand at once, but it was one of the few that did.**

**Hermione Granger's had simply rolled over on the ground, and Neville's hadn't moved at all. Perhaps brooms, like horses, could tell when you were afraid, thought Harry; there was a quaver in Neville's voice that said only too clearly that he wanted to keep his feet on the ground.**

**Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. Harry and Ron were delighted when she told Malfoy he'd been doing it wrong for years.**

**"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle — three — two —"**

**But Neville, nervous and jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips.**

**"Come back, boy!" she shouted, but Neville was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle — twelve feet — twenty feet. Harry saw his scared white face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broom and —**

**WHAM — a thud and a nasty crack and Neville lay facedown on the grass in a heap.**

'Ouch,' all three said.

**His broomstick was still rising higher and higher, and started to drift lazily toward the forbidden forest and out of sight.**

**Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his.**

**"Broken wrist," Harry heard her mutter.**

'That's not good,' Harry said.

'Madam Pomfrey will heal him,' Nicolas said.

'She is a healer which is similar to a Muggle doctor,' Perenelle said.

**"Come on, boy — it's all right, up you get."**

**She turned to the rest of the class.**

**"None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.' Come on, dear."**

**Neville, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him.**

**No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter.**

**"Did you see his face, the great lump?"**

**The other Slytherins joined in.**

'That's not nice,' all three said.

**"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil.**

**"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy Parkinson, a hard-faced Slytherin girl. "Never thought**_**you'd **_**like fat little cry babies, Parvati."**

**"Look!" said Malfoy, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's Gran sent him."**

**The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up.**

'The Remembrall is not stupid,' Perenelle said.

**"Give that here, Malfoy," said Harry quietly.**

**Everyone stopped talking to watch.**

**Malfoy smiled nastily.**

**"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find — how about — up a tree?"**

'That's not nice,' Harry said.

**"Give it**_**here**_**!" Harry yelled, but Malfoy had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. He hadn't been lying, he**_** could**_**fly well.**

**Hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, "Come and get it, Potter!"**

**Harry grabbed his broom.**

**"**_**No!"**_**shouted Hermione Granger. "Madam Hooch told us not to move — you'll get us all into trouble."**

'You should listen to her,' Perenelle said.

'I won't though,' Harry said.

**Harry ignored her. Blood was pounding in his ears. He mounted the broom and kicked hard against the ground and up, up he soared; air rushed through his hair, and his robes whipped out behind him — and in a rush of fierce joy he realized he'd found something he could do without being taught — this was easy, this was**_**wonderful**_**.**

'I'm flying,' Harry said.

'Your father was a good flier,' Nicolas said.

'Oh,' Harry said and smiled.

**He pulled his broomstick up a little to take it even higher.**

'That's too high,' Perenelle said, 'you could break your neck.'

'I didn't do it yet,' Harry said.

**And heard screams and gasps of girls back on the ground and an admiring whoop from Ron.**

**He turned his broomstick sharply to face Malfoy in midair. Malfoy looked stunned.**

'He didn't think you could fly,' Nicolas said.

'Well I am Muggle raised,' Harry said.

**"Give it here," Harry called, "or I'll knock you off that broom!"**

'That's not a nice thing to say,' Perenelle said.

'I know but he needs to understand that you can't bully others just because they are different,' Harry said.

**"Oh, yeah?" said Malfoy, trying to sneer, but looking worried.**

**Harry knew, somehow, what to do. He leaned forward and grasped the broom tightly in both hands, and it shot toward Malfoy like a javelin. Malfoy only just got out of the way in time; Harry made a sharp about-face and held the broom steady. A few people below were clapping.**

**"No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy," Harry called.**

**The same thought seemed to have struck Malfoy.**

**"Catch it if you can, then!" he shouted, and he threw the glass ball high into the air and streaked back toward the ground.**

**Harry saw, as though in slow motion, the ball rise up in the air and then start to fall. He leaned forward and pointed his broom handle down — next second he was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the ball — wind whistled in his ears, mingled with the screams of people watching — he stretched out his hand — a foot from the ground he caught it, just in time to pull his broom straight, and he toppled gently onto the grass with the Remembrall clutched safely in his fist.**

'Wow I got them Remembrall for Neville,' Harry said.

Nicolas and Perenelle exchanged looks knowing that Harry would be a brilliant seeker.

**"HARRY POTTER!"**

**His heart sank faster than he'd just dived. Professor McGonagall was running toward them.**

**He got to his feet, trembling.**

**"**_**Never**_**— in all my time at Hogwarts —"**

**Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously, "— how**_**dare**_** you — might have broken your neck —"**

**"It wasn't his fault, Professor —"**

**"Be quiet, Miss Patil —"**

'I take it that girl is Pavarti,' Harry said.

'It must be otherwise Minerva would have said Miss Pavarti Patil,' Perenelle said.

'Oh,' Harry said.

**"But Malfoy —"**

**"That's**_**enough**_**, Mr. Weasley.**

'Ron is standing up for me,' Harry said happily.

**Potter, follow me, now."**

'I'm in trouble,' Harry said as Perenelle and Nicolas exchanged looks that maybe he would be a seeker in his first year.

**Harry caught sight of Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle's triumphant faces as he left, walking numbly in Professor McGonagall's wake as she strode toward the castle. He was going to be expelled, he just knew it.**

**He wanted to say something to defend himself, but there seemed to be something wrong with his voice. Professor McGonagall was sweeping along without even looking at him; he had to jog to keep up. Now he'd done it. He hadn't even lasted two weeks. He'd be packing his bags in ten minutes. What would the Dursleys say when he turned up on the doorstep?**

'I don't want to think about it,' Harry said shuttering.

**Up the front steps, up the marble staircase inside and still Professor McGonagall didn't say a word to him.**

**She wrenched open doors and marched along corridors with Harry trotting miserably behind her. Maybe she was taking him to Dumbledore. He thought of Hagrid, expelled but allowed to stay on as gamekeeper. Perhaps he could be Hagrid's assistant. His stomach twisted as he imagined it, watching Ron and the others becoming wizards, while he stumped around the grounds carrying Hagrid's bag.**

'That's an awful image,' Harry said.

**Professor McGonagall stopped outside a classroom. She opened the door and poked her head inside.**

**"Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for a moment?"**

Harry's eyes widened.

**Wood? Thought Harry, bewildered; was Wood a cane she was going to use on him?**

'Teachers aren't allowed to abuse children,' Perenelle said.

'That's good to know,' Harry said letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

**But Wood turned out to be a person, a burly fifth-year boy who came out of Flitwick's class looking confused.**

**"Follow me, you two," said Professor McGonagall, and they marched on up the corridor, Wood looking curiously at Harry.**

**"In here."**

**Professor McGonagall pointed them into a classroom that was empty except for Peeves, who was busy writing rude words on the blackboard.**

**"Out, Peeves!" she barked. Peeves threw the chalk into a bin, which clanged loudly, and he swooped out cursing. Professor McGonagall slammed the door behind him and turned to face the two boys.**

**"Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood — I've found you a Seeker."**

'A seeker,' Harry said in relief that his book self wouldn't be expelled.

**Wood's expression changed from puzzlement to delight.**

**"Are you serious, Professor?"**

**"Absolutely," said Professor McGonagall crisply. "The boy's a natural. I've never seen anything like it. Was that your first time on a broomstick, Potter?"**

**Harry nodded silently. He didn't have a clue what was going on, but he didn't seem to be being expelled, and some of the feeling started coming back to his legs.**

**"He caught that thing in his hand after a fifty-foot dive," Professor McGonagall told Wood.**

'That's too high,' Perenelle said.

**"Didn't even scratch himself. Charlie Weasley couldn't have done it."**

**Wood was now looking as though all his dreams had come true at once.**

'He's must be the Quidditch captain,' Nicolas said.

**"Ever seen a game of Quidditch, Potter?" he asked excitedly.**

**"Wood's captain of the Gryffindor team," Professor McGonagall explained.**

**"He's just the build for a Seeker, too," said Wood, now walking around Harry and staring at him. "Light —speedy — we'll have to get him a decent broom, Professor — a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I'd say."**

**"I shall speak to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can't bend the first-year rule.**

'Then everyone will think that I got on the team just because of my fame,' Harry said.

**Heaven knows, we need a better team than last year.**_**Flattened**_**in that last match by Slytherin, I couldn't look Severus Snape in the face for weeks…"**

**Professor McGonagall peered sternly over her glasses at Harry.**

**"I want to hear you're training hard, Potter, or I may change my mind about punishing you."**

'My book self better,' Harry said.

**Then she suddenly smiled.**

**"Your father would have been proud," she said. "He was an excellent Quidditch player himself."**

'What was he,' Harry asked.

'I don't know,' Perenelle and Nicolas said.

Which position in Quidditch did my dad play Harry wrote.

**"You're**_**joking**_**."**

**It was dinnertime. Harry had just finished telling Ron what had happened when he'd left the grounds with Professor McGonagall. Ron had a piece of steak and kidney pie halfway to his mouth, but he'd forgotten all about it.**

'He must be impressed,' Harry said.

**"**_**Seeker**_**?" he said. "But first years**_**never**_**— you must be the youngest house player in about —"**

"— **a century," said Harry, shovelling pie into his mouth.**

'That's a long time,' Harry said.

He felt particularly hungry after the excitement of the afternoon. "Wood told me."

**Ron was so amazed, so impressed he just sat and gaped at Harry.**

**"I start training next week," said Harry. "Only don't tell anyone, Wood wants to keep it a secret."**

**Fred and George Weasley now came into the hall, spotted Harry, and hurried over.**

**"Well done," said George in a low voice. "Wood told us. We're on the team too — Beaters."**

**"I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch cup for sure this year," said Fred. "We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Harry, Wood was almost skipping when he told us."**

**"Anyway, we've got to go Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school."**

**"Bet it's that one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you."**

**Fred and George had hardly disappeared when someone far less welcome turned up: Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.**

**"Having a last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?"**

'At the end of the year,' Harry said.

**"You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you," said Harry coolly.**

'They are not little,' Harry said.

**There was of course nothing at all little about Crabbe and Goyle, but as the High Table was full of teachers, neither of them could do more than crack their knuckles and scowl.**

**"I'd take you on anytime on my own," said Malfoy. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only — no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"**

**"Of course he has," said Ron, wheeling around. "I'm his second, who's yours?"**

**Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up.**

**"Crabbe," he said. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room; that's always unlocked."**

'He'll probably tip Mr Filch off to get you in trouble,' Nicolas said.

**When Malfoy had gone, Ron and Harry looked at each other.**

**"What is a wizard's duel?" said Harry. "And what do you mean, you're my second?"**

**"Well, a second's there to take over if you die," said Ron casually, getting started at last on his cold pie. Catching the look on Harry's face, he added quickly, "But people only die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards.**

'What are we fake wizards,' Harry asked.

'No Perenelle said, 'he just means properly trained wizards that have graduated.'

**The most you and Malfoy will be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to do any real damage. I bet he expected you to refuse, anyway."**

'Or accept and get me in trouble,' Harry said.

**"And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?"**

**"Throw it away and punch him on the nose," Ron suggested.**

'Malfoy said not contact,' Harry said, 'and punching him in the nose which I will never do is contact.'

**"Excuse me."**

**They both looked up. It was Hermione Granger.**

**"Can't a person eat in peace in this place?" said Ron.**

**Hermione ignored him and spoke to Harry.**

**"I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying —"**

**"Bet you could," Ron muttered.**

**"— and you**_**mustn't**_**go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."**

'She has a point,' Perenelle said.

'I know,' Harry said, 'but it seems that Ron doesn't want her around and I don't want to lose my first friend.'

'The thing is Harry,' Nicolas said, 'if Ron doesn't stay your friend if you have another friend then he isn't really your friend.'

'I understand what you mean,' Harry said and wrote I can have more than one friend and if one of my friends doesn't like it then he or she isn't my friend at all.

**"And it's really none of your business," said Harry.**

**"Good-bye," said Ron.**

**All the same, it wasn't what you'd call the perfect end to the day, Harry thought, as he lay awake much later listening to Dean and Seamus falling asleep (Neville wasn't back from the hospital wing). Ron had spent all evening giving him advice such as "If he tries to curse you, you'd better dodge it, because I can't remember how to block them."**

'Nice advice,' Harry said.

**There was a very good chance they were going to get caught by Filch or Mrs. Norris, and Harry felt he was pushing his luck, breaking another school rule today. On the other hand, Malfoy's sneering face kept looming up out of the darkness — this was his big chance to beat Malfoy face-to-face. He couldn't miss it.**

**"Half-past eleven," Ron muttered at last, "we'd better go."**

**They pulled on their bathrobes, picked up their wands, and crept across the tower room, down the spiral staircase, and into the Gryffindor common room. A few embers were still glowing in the fireplace, turning all the armchairs into hunched black shadows. They had almost reached the portrait hole when a voice spoke from the chair nearest them, "I can't believe you're going to do this, Harry."**

'Hermione,' Harry said.

**A lamp flickered on. It was Hermione Granger, wearing a pink bathrobe and a frown.**

**"**_**You!**_**" said Ron furiously. "Go back to bed!"**

**"I almost told your brother," Hermione snapped, "Percy — he's a prefect, he'd put a stop to this."**

**Harry couldn't believe anyone could be so interfering.**

'She has a point though,' Perenelle said.

**"Come on," he said to Ron. He pushed open the portrait of the Fat Lady and climbed through the hole.**

**Hermione wasn't going to give up that easily. She followed Ron through the portrait hole, hissing at them like an angry goose.**

**"Don't you**_**care**_**about Gryffindor, do you**_**only**_**care about yourselves,**_**I**_**don't want Slytherin to win the house cup, and you'll lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spells."**

**"Go away."**

**"All right,**

'She's going,' Harry wondered.

**but I warned you, you just remember what I said when you're on the train home tomorrow, you're so —"**

**But what they were, they didn't find out. Hermione had turned to the portrait of the Fat Lady to get back inside and found herself facing an empty painting. The Fat Lady had gone on a night time visit and Hermione was locked out of Gryffindor tower.**

'She'll have to come with us,' Harry said.

**"Now what am I going to do?" she asked shrilly.**

**"That's your problem," said Ron. "We've got to go we're going to be late."**

**They hadn't even reached the end of the corridor when Hermione caught up with them.**

**"I'm coming with you," she said.**

'That's what I thought,' Harry said.

**"You are**_**not**_**."**

**"D'you think I'm going to stand out here and wait for Filch to catch me? If he finds all three of us I'll tell him the truth, that I was trying to stop you, and you can back me up."**

'I wouldn't back her up and I don't think Ron would either,' Harry said.

**"You've got some nerve —" said Ron loudly.**

**"Shut up, both of you!" said Harry sharply. "I heard something."**

**It was a sort of snuffling.**

**"Mrs. Norris?" breathed Ron, squinting through the dark.**

**It wasn't Mrs. Norris. It was Neville. He was curled up on the floor, fast asleep,**

'Wonder why he's out there,' Harry asked.

'Maybe he didn't remember the password,' Perenelle said.

**but jerked suddenly awake as they crept nearer.**

**"Thank goodness you found me! I've been out here for hours, I couldn't remember the new password to get in to bed."**

**"Keep your voice down, Neville. The password's 'Pig snout' but it won't help you now, the Fat Lady's gone off somewhere."**

**"How's your arm?" said Harry.**

**"Fine," said Neville, showing them. "Madam Pomfrey mended it in about a minute."**

**"Good — well, look, Neville, we've got to be somewhere, we'll see you later —"**

**"Don't leave me!" said Neville, scrambling to his feet, "I don't want to stay here alone, the Bloody Baron's been past twice already."**

'He sounds like trouble,' Harry said and was about to continue reading when a flash of blue light appeared making the three shut their eyes.

When they opened them they saw five figures.

'Hi, I'm Perenelle Flamel and this is my husband Nicolas and this young man is Harry Potter,' Perenelle said.

'Hi,' Nicolas and Harry said while one woman widened her eyes before speaking.

'Hi, I'm Augusta Longbottom and this is my grandson Neville,' she said.

'Hi,' Neville said.

'Hi I'm David Granger and this is my wife Jean and our daughter Hermione,' a man said.

'Hi,' Jean and Hermione said.

'How did we get here, why are, we here and what's going on,' Hermione asked before spotting the book, 'what book is that?'

'You got here by magic,' Augusta said, 'which is real by the way.'

'What,' David, Jean and Hermione asked.

'I'll show you,' Perenelle said, 'Accio five quills,' and five quills came barrelling in her hand.

'That's cool,' Hermione said, 'again.'

'Please Mione,' David said.

'Yes Dad,' Hermione said, 'can you please do it again Mrs Flamel?'

'Sure,' Perenelle said, 'Accio five sheets of blank paper,' and five sheets of blank paper flew to her hand.

'Hermione,' Harry said, 'you are magical which means that you are a witch.'

'That explains why so many strange things happen,' Hermione said.

'You are all here to read this book called **Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone**,' Nicolas said.

'That's you,' Hermione said looking at Harry.

'Yes it is,' Harry said.

Harry, Nicolas and Perenelle explained what happened in the book so far.

'NEVILLE I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN YOU' Augusta shouted, 'I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU, NOT KNOWING A SIMPLE PASSWORD LIKE PIG SNOUT.'

'Sorry Gran,' Neville said.

Hermione walked up to Neville and took him to the table to where Harry.

'You two don't apologise for something you didn't do yet,' Harry whispered.

**Ron looked at his watch and then glared furiously at Hermione and Neville.**

**"If either of you get us caught, I'll never rest until I've learned that Curse of the Bogies Quirrell told us about, and used it on you."**

'What is the Curse of the Bogies,' Hermione asked.

'It gives an enemy a nasty cold,' Augusta said, 'that makes them collapse if not treated by a healer.'

'That's not nice,' David and Jean said.

**Hermione opened her mouth,**

'Don't you dare is probably what I would say,' Hermione said.

**perhaps to tell Ron exactly how to use the Curse of the Bogies,**

'That wouldn't be nice,' Neville said.

**but Harry hissed at her to be quiet and beckoned them all forward.**

**They flitted along corridors striped with bars of moonlight from the high windows. At every turn Harry expected to run into Filch or Mrs. Norris, but they were lucky.**

'It sounds like Malfoy set you up,' Hermione said bossily.

'I think so too,' Neville said.

**They sped up a staircase to the third floor and tiptoed toward the trophy room.**

**Malfoy and Crabbe weren't there yet.**

'And they won't ever be,' Harry said.

**The crystal trophy cases glimmered where the moonlight caught them. Cups, shields, plates, and statues winked silver and gold in the darkness. They edged along the walls, keeping their eyes on the doors at either end of the room. Harry took out his wand in case Malfoy leapt in and started at once.**

**The minutes crept by.**

**"He's late, maybe he's chickened out," Ron whispered.**

'He was never planning on to come,' Jean and David said.

'He would be there already,' Augusta said.

**Then a noise in the next room made them jump. Harry had only just raised his wand when they heard someone speak — and it wasn't Malfoy.**

**"Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner."**

'Who's that,' Hermione asked.

**It was Filch speaking to Mrs. Norris. Horror-struck, Harry waved madly at the other three to follow him as quickly as possible; they scurried silently toward the door, away from Filch's voice. Neville's robes had barely whipped round the corner when they heard Filch enter the trophy room.**

'That's lucky,' Hermione said.

**"They're in here somewhere," they heard him mutter, "probably hiding."**

**"This way!" Harry mouthed to the others and, petrified, they began to creep down a long gallery full of suits of armor. They could hear Filch getting nearer. Neville suddenly let out a frightened squeak**

'He must a, been close,' Neville said.

**and broke into a run he tripped, grabbed Ron around the waist, and the pair of them toppled right into a suit of armor. The clanging and crashing were enough to wake the whole castle.**

'Neville,' Augusta sighed.

'Sor..,' Neville started putting his head down and then he straightened and said, 'I didn't do it yet.'

Augusta widened her eyes a bit.

**"RUN!" Harry yelled, and the four of them sprinted down the gallery, not looking back to see whether Filch was following — they swung around the doorpost and galloped down one corridor then another, Harry in the lead, without any idea where they were or where they were going — they ripped through a tapestry and found themselves in a hidden passageway, hurtled along it and came out near their Charms classroom, which they knew was miles from the trophy room.**

**"I think we've lost him," Harry panted, leaning against the cold wall and wiping his forehead. Neville was bent double, wheezing and spluttering.**

**"I —**_**told**_**— you," Hermione gasped, clutching at the stitch in her chest, "I — told — you."**

'Hermione,' Jean said, 'that's not the time to tell them that yet.'

'Yes Mom,' Hermione said.

**"We've got to get back to Gryffindor tower," said Ron, "quickly as possible."**

**"Malfoy tricked you," Hermione said to Harry. "You realize that, don't you? He was never going to meet you — Filch knew someone was going to be in the trophy room, Malfoy must have tipped him off."**

**Harry thought she was probably right, but he wasn't going to tell her that.**

Hermione looked down.

'Hermione you are probably right,' Harry said.

'Thank you,' Hermione said looking up at Harry.

'You're welcome,' Harry said.

**"Let's go."**

**It wasn't going to be that simple. They hadn't gone more than a dozen paces when a doorknob rattled and something came shooting out of a classroom in front of them.**

**It was Peeves.**

'That's not good,' Harry said, 'he'll tell on us.'

**He caught sight of them and gave a squeal of delight.**

**"Shut up, Peeves — please — you'll get us thrown out."**

**Peeves cackled.**

**"Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty."**

**"Not if you don't give us away, Peeves, please."**

**"Should tell Filch, I should," said Peeves in a saintly voice, but his eyes glittered wickedly. "It's for your own good, you know."**

**"Get out of the way," snapped Ron, taking a swipe at Peeves this was a big mistake.**

'May I please have a piece of paper and a...' Hermione asked trailing off.

'A quill,' Neville said.

'All right,' Perenelle said passing the quills and pieces of paper around.

Never take a swipe at Peeves Hermione, Harry and Neville wrote.

**"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves bellowed, "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"**

**Ducking under Peeves, they ran for their lives, right to the end of the corridor where they slammed into a door — and it was locked.**

'Is that the forbidden corridor on the third floor,' Harry asked.

'I think so,' Perenelle and Nicolas said wondering what would be guarding their stone.

**"This is it!" Ron moaned, as they pushed helplessly at the door, "We're done for! This is the end!"**

'Did he forget that he's a male witch,' Jean and David asked.

'The correct term is wizard,' Nicolas said.

'And I don't think he knows the unlocking spell,' Perenelle said.

**They could hear footsteps, Filch running as fast as he could toward Peeves' shouts.**

**"Oh, move over," Hermione snarled.**

**She grabbed Harry's wand, tapped the lock, and whispered, "**_**Alohomora**_**!"**

The lock clicked and the door swung open —

'The wand must have known that you two were allies,' Perenelle said, 'otherwise the wand wouldn't have worked.'

**they piled through it, shut it quickly, and pressed their ears against it, listening.**

**"Which way did they go, Peeves?" Filch was saying. "Quick, tell me."**

**"Say 'please.'"**

**"Don't mess with me, Peeves, now**_**where did they go**_**?"**

**"Shan't say nothing if you don't say please," said Peeves in his annoying singsong voice.**

**"All right —**_**please**_**."**

**"NOTHING! Ha haaa! Told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please! Ha-ha! Haaaaaa!"**

Harry, Hermione and Neville laughed.

**And they heard the sound of Peeves whooshing away and Filch cursing in rage.**

'Don't curse in front of my daughter,' David and Jean said.

**"He thinks this door is locked," Harry whispered. "I think we'll be okay — get**_**off**_**, Neville!"**

'Neville,' Augusta sighed.

**For Neville had been tugging on the sleeve of Harry's bathrobe for the last minute. "**_**What**_**?"**

**Harry turned around — and saw, quite clearly, what. For a moment, he was sure he'd walked into a nightmare — this was too much, on top of everything that had happened so far.**

**They weren't in a room, as he had supposed. They were in a corridor. The forbidden corridor on the third floor. And now they knew why it was forbidden.**

**They were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, a dog that filled the whole space between ceiling and floor. It had three heads.**

Hermione, Harry and Neville gulped.

**Three pairs of rolling, mad eyes; three noses, twitching and quivering in their direction; three drooling mouths, saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs.**

**It was standing quite still, all six eyes staring at them, and Harry knew that the only reason they weren't already dead was that their sudden appearance had taken it by surprise, but it was quickly getting over that, there was no mistaking what those thunderous growls meant.**

**Harry groped for the doorknob — between Filch and death, he'd take Filch.**

**They fell backward — Harry slammed the door shut, and they ran, they almost flew, back down the corridor. Filch must have hurried off to look for them somewhere else, because they didn't see him anywhere, but they hardly cared — all they wanted to do was put as much space as possible between them and that monster. They didn't stop running until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady on the seventh floor.**

**"Where on earth have you all been?" she asked, looking at their bathrobes hanging off their shoulders and their flushed, sweaty faces.**

'Like we'd tell her,' Harry said.

**"Never mind that — pig snout, pig snout," panted Harry, and the portrait swung forward. They scrambled into the common room and collapsed, trembling, into armchairs.**

**It was a while before any of them said anything. Neville, indeed, looked as if he'd never speak again.**

**"What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" said Ron finally. "If any dog needs exercise, that one does."**

**Hermione had got both her breath and her bad temper back again. "You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?" she snapped. "Didn't you see what it was standing on?"**

**"The floor?" Harry suggested. "I wasn't looking at its feet I was too busy with its heads."**

**"No,**_**not**_**the floor. It was standing on a trapdoor. It's obviously guarding something."**

'The Philosopher's Stone,' Harry said.

**She stood up, glaring at them.**

**"I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed — or worse, expelled. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed."**

**Ron stared after her, his mouth open.**

**"No, we don't mind," he said. "You'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you."**

'That was quite rude,' Hermione said.

**But Hermione had given Harry something else to think about as he climbed back into bed. The dog was guarding something… What had Hagrid said? Gringotts was the safest place in the world for something you wanted to hide — except perhaps Hogwarts.**

**It looked as though Harry had found out where the grubby little package from vault seven hundred and thirteen was.**

'Finally I realize what the stone is,' Harry said, 'and that was the end of the chapter,' and then held it out for Perenelle to take it.

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><p>Please Review.<p> 


	12. Chapter 12

The Flamel's and the Stone - Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own anything or anyone so take a hike copyright infringement and this chapter belongs to me and the other ones before this one were made and written by Scorecard whose fic and story I had adopted and taken from him/her when he/she had asked for it to be taken and I have edited some of the things in this chapter that I had written previously and made mistakes in.

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><p><strong>"Halloween" <strong>Perenelle read sombrely as she knew what also happened at this time years ago but did not want to upset Harry

**Malfoy couldn't believe his eyes when he saw that Harry and Ron were still at Hogwarts the next day, looking tired but perfectly cheerful.**

"Good cause I do not want to have you doing those types of things at night and always think before you rush in and act" Perenelle said to Harry who replied "Yes Perenelle I will" and he then wrote down _'must not rush in before thinking things through'_.

**Indeed, by the next morning Harry and Ron thought that meeting the three-headed dog had been an excellent adventure, and they were quite keen to have another one.**

"Harry" Perenelle said crossly which Harry replied with a small nervous "eep" and tried to shrink down in front of everyone else (Bar Perenell) there who all chuckled from this amusing display but soon returned to listening to the story.

**In the meantime, Harry filled Ron in about the package that seemed to have been moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts, and they spent a lot of time wondering what could possibly need such heavy protection.**

**"It's either really valuable or really dangerous," said Ron.**

"Or both" said Neville timidly.

"**Or both," said Harry.**

Neville blinked at saying the same thing as the red headed boy and the same for everyone else who looked confused at this but put it out of their mind.

**But as all they knew for sure about the mysterious object was that it was about two inches long, they didn't have much chance of guessing what it was without further clues.**

"I wonder what it is "Hermione said excitably at the thought of a magical mystery to solve.

**Neither Neville nor Hermione showed the slightest interest in what lay underneath the dog and the trapdoor.**

Hermione blinked at the fact that she was doing the opposite of what her book self was doing which made Neville chuckle at as he would probably done so himself but was pacified at his gran's strict stare.

**All Neville cared about was never going near the dog again.**

Augusta nodded at this as her son Frank would have done something like that.

**Hermione was now refusing to speak to Harry and Ron, but she was such a bossy know-it-all that they saw this as an added bonus.**

David glared at Harry for the jab at his daughter who was looking sad at the mean name she was called but cheered up slightly as Harry said "Sorry Hermione I don't mean it, honestly" he finished quickly at David's stern glare as Hermione said back gratefully to the kind boy "thanks Harry" which he replied with a small smile.

**All they really wanted now was a way of getting back at Malfoy, and to their great delight, just such a thing arrived in the mail about a week later.**

"I wonder what it was" said Jean as everyone else shrugged and continued reading.

**As the owls flooded into the Great Hall as usual, everyone's attention was caught at once by a long, thin package carried by six large screech owls. Harry was just as interested as everyone else to see what was in this large parcel, and was amazed when the owls soared down and dropped it right in front of him, knocking his bacon to the floor.**

"What is it that you got" Neville said with confusion to Harry.

**They had hardly fluttered out of the way when another owl dropped a letter on top of the parcel.**

**Harry ripped open the letter first, which was lucky, because it said:**

_**DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE.**_

_**It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don't want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you tonight on the Quidditch field at seven o'clock for your first training session.**_

_**Professor McGonagall**_

**Harry had difficulty hiding his glee as he handed the note to Ron to read.**

"Can I go flying later if I can" Harry said to Nickolas who nodded and said that he had an old broom in the shed outside that Harry could try to which Harry smiled about the chance to really fly on broom.

"**A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Ron moaned enviously. "I've never even**_**touched**_**one."**

"He obviously does not have a lot of money" Hermione said to which the other witches and wizards nodded at the fact that the Weasley family are usually great people but very poor in wealth which was a shame.

**They left the hall quickly, wanting to unwrap the broomstick in private before their first class, but halfway across the entrance hall they found the way upstairs barred by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy seized the package from Harry and felt it.**

David chuckled under his breath but was chastised by his wife looking at him sternly for thinking such things at the time by hitting his arm to which everyone else looked confusedly at the Granger parent's especially the children but shrugged it off and continued to read the chapter.

"**That's a broomstick," he said, throwing it back to Harry with a mixture of jealousy and spite on his face. "You'll be in for it this time, Potter, first years aren't allowed them."** **Ron couldn't resist it.**

"_Of course he couldn't"_ Harry said in his head with an eye roll at how Ron and Malfoy fight like toddlers over a small toy.

"**It's not any old broomstick," he said, "It's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty?"**

"Oh that's not good he'll start a fight" Perenelle said worriedly.

**Ron grinned at Harry. "Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus."**

"**What would you know about it, Weasley, you couldn't afford half the handle," Malfoy snapped back. "I suppose you and your brothers have to save up twig by twig."**

"That boy should be taught some manners" said Jane angry at the foul attitude of the spoiled blond boy.

**Before Ron could answer, Professor Flitwick appeared at Malfoy's elbow.** "**Not arguing, I hope, boys?" he squeaked.**

"What is he a mouse" Neville said to which the people who knew him chuckled at how the charms teacher did sound like a mouse at times.

"**Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor," said Malfoy quickly.** "**Yes, yes, that's right," said Professor Flitwick, beaming at Harry. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. And what model is it?"**

"Malfoy will not like this" said Harry gleefully.

"**A Nimbus Two Thousand, it is," said Harry, fighting not to laugh at the look of horror on Malfoy's face. "And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that I've got it," he added.**

Everyone was laughing at how it all happened and how Malfoy was a part of Harry getting on the Quidditch team with the broom.

**Harry and Ron headed upstairs, smothering their laughter at Malfoy's obvious rage and confusion.**

"Told you" said Harry to which every one chuckled at.

"**Well, it's true," Harry chortled as they reached the top of the marble staircase, "If he hadn't stolen Neville's Remembrall I wouldn't be on the team…"**

"That is true" Neville said and ended it with a smile at the fact he partially made it possible for Harry to get on the team.

"**So I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking rules?" Came an angry voice from just behind them. Hermione was stomping up the stairs, looking disapprovingly at the package in Harry's hand.**

"Hermione you should stop doing that" David said to his daughter exasperated. "Do what Daddy" said Hermione in return confused at what he meant, "Acting as if you are the law over others, I mean would you have wanted Neville to have gone without his gift from his grandmother and be miserable for the rest of the day trying to find it and thinking that he had lost it making him more upset" said David in response but Hermione responded saying "But Daddy Harry broke the rules" crossly at her father being lectured like this.

"I know sweetheart but there are more important things than following rules and always acting as if you're always right because of that as it just makes others not nice to you for acting rude and interfering with the attitude you seem to be showing by acting as if you are all about following rules" David said slowly and cautiously to his daughter who is beginning showing that she understands as she thinks on this while listening to more of the story.

"**I thought you weren't speaking to us?" said Harry.** "**Yes, don't stop now;" said Ron, "it's doing us so much good."**

"That's not a nice thing for him to say to you" Harry said to Hermione which makes her smile at Harry for defending and comforting her for the rude boy's actions.

**Hermione marched away with her nose in the air.**

David shook his head and Hermione blushed at how her father was right about her acting snooty and self righteous about everything.

**Harry had a lot of trouble keeping his mind on his lessons that day. It kept wandering up to the dormitory where his new broomstick was lying under his bed, or straying off to the Quidditch field where he'd be learning to play that night.**

"Harry you should work on your concentration and your lessons" Perenelle said "you're broom will be still there" Harry nodded while blushing in embarrassment at his book self's actions.

**He bolted his dinner that evening without noticing what he was eating, and then rushed upstairs with Ron to unwrap the Nimbus Two Thousand at last. ** "**Wow," Ron sighed, as the broomstick rolled onto Harry's bedspread.** **Even Harry, who knew nothing about the different brooms, thought it looked wonderful. Sleek and shiny, with a mahogany handle, it had a long tail of neat, straight twigs and Nimbus Two Thousand written in gold near the top.**

"Awesome" Harry said with a happy look at the broom he might get in the future.

**As seven o'clock drew nearer, Harry left the castle and set off in the dusk toward the Quidditch field. He had never been inside the stadium before now. Hundreds of seats were raised in stands around the field so that the spectators were high enough to see what was going on. At either end of the field were three golden poles with hoops on the end. They reminded Harry of the little plastic sticks Muggle children blew bubbles through, except that they were fifty feet high.**

The wizards and witches who have not been around the Muggle world were confused at this but Harry, Hermione and her parents were chuckling at their looks and how right book - Harry probably was about how the goal posts looked in design.

**Too eager to fly again to wait for Wood, Harry mounted his broomstick and kicked off from the ground. What a feeling — he swooped in and out of the goal posts and then sped up and down the field. The Nimbus Two Thousand turned wherever he wanted at his lightest touch.**

"That sounds great" Harry said happily at the descriptions of the broom's abilities.

**"****Hey, Potter, come down!"****Oliver Wood had arrived. He was carrying a large wooden crate under his arm. Harry landed next to him. **** "****Very nice," said Wood, his eyes glinting. "I see what McGonagall meant… you really are a natural. I'm just going to teach you the rules this evening, and then you'll be joining team practice three times a week."**

"That sounds fun" Harry said in excitement.

**He opened the crate. Inside were four different-sized balls.**

**"****Right," said Wood. "Now, Quidditch is easy enough to understand, even if it's not too easy to play. There are seven players on each side. Three of them are called Chasers." ****"****Three Chasers," Harry repeated, as Wood took out a bright red ball about the size of a soccer ball.**

"What's Soccer" Neville said and Harry and Hermione explained what they both knew about the sport to the rest of the magical people until they were satisfied with what they were given.

**"****This ball's called the Quaffle," said Wood. "The Chasers throw the Quaffle to each other and try and get it through one of the hoops to score a goal. Ten points every time the Quaffle goes through one of the hoops. Follow me?"**** "****The Chasers throw the Quaffle and put it through the hoops to score," Harry recited. "So — that's sort of like basketball on broomsticks with six hoops, isn't it?"**

"What's Basketball" Augusta asked and Harry explained this time so that Hermione would not have to do so.

"**What's basketball?" said Wood curiously. ** "**Never mind," said Harry quickly.**

"Should have done that instead" Harry whispered to Hermione who giggled quietly.

**"****Now, there's another player on each side who's called the Keeper — I'm Keeper for Gryffindor. I have to fly around our hoops and stop the other team from scoring." ****"****Three Chasers, one Keeper," said Harry, who was determined to remember it all. "And they play with the Quaffle. Okay, got that. So what are they for?" He pointed at the three balls left inside the box. ****"****I'll show you now," said Wood. "Take this."**

**He handed Harry a small club, a bit like a short baseball bat.**

The magical's decided to not ask as it would waste time asking about muggle stuff.

"**I'm going to show you what the Bludgers do," Wood said. "These two are the Bludgers."**

**He showed Harry two identical balls, jet black and slightly smaller than the red Quaffle. Harry noticed that they seemed to be straining to escape the straps holding them inside the box.**

"**Stand back," Wood warned Harry. He bent down and freed one of the Bludgers.**

**At once, the black ball rose high in the air and then pelted straight at Harry's face. Harry swung at it with the bat to stop it from breaking his nose, and sent it zigzagging away into the air — it zoomed around their heads and then shot at Wood, who dived on top of it and managed to pin it to the ground.**

"Not bad Harry" Nickolas said to Harry who explained to the small boy that he played beater on his team.

"**See?" Wood panted, forcing the struggling Bludger back into the crate and strapping it down safely. "The Bludgers rocket around, trying to knock players off their brooms. That's why you have two Beaters on each team — the Weasley twins are ours — it's their job to protect their side from the Bludgers and try and knock them toward the other team. So — think you've got all that?"**

"**Three Chasers try and score with the Quaffle; the Keeper guards the goal posts; the Beaters keep the Bludgers away from their team," Harry reeled off.**

"**Very good," said Wood.**

"**Err — have the Bludgers ever killed anyone?" Harry asked, hoping he sounded offhand.**

"I hope not" Jean said worriedly at the fact that this could happen to the child.

**"****Never at Hogwarts. We've had a couple of broken jaws but nothing worse than that. Now, the last member of the team is the Seeker. That's you. And you don't have to worry about the Quaffle or the Bludgers —"**** "—****unless they crack my head open." **

Jean shook nervously at this hoping it would not happen.

"**Don't worry, the Weasleys are more than a match for the Bludgers — I mean, they're like a pair of human Bludgers themselves."**

Nickolas chuckled at this as he would like to meet these twins himself and see how they were at the game.

**Wood reached into the crate and took out the fourth and last ball. Compared with the Quaffle and the Bludgers, it was tiny, about the size of a large walnut. It was bright gold and had little fluttering silver wings.**** "**_**This**_**," said Wood, "is the Golden Snitch, and it's the most important ball of the lot. It's very hard to catch because it's so fast and difficult to see. It's the Seeker's job to catch it. You've got to weave in and out of the Chasers, Beaters, Bludgers, and Quaffle to get it before the other team's Seeker, because whichever Seeker catches the Snitch wins his team an extra hundred and fifty points, so they nearly always win.**

David spoke out a bit confused and annoyed "well, that's a bit stupid having one player get all those points for catching a small golden ball and the chasers having such a small point count when they score". The magical people in the room were shocked at this statement and to Harry he also thought that it made a bit of a sense but he hurried Perenelle to keep reading so as to not get the man into an argument with the others in the room.

**That's why Seekers get fouled so much. A game of Quidditch only ends when the Snitch is caught, so it can go on for ages — I think the record is three months, they had to keep bringing on substitutes so the players could get some sleep.**

"Blimey that's long" David said in shock.

**"****Well, that's it any questions?"** **Harry shook his head. He understood what he had to do all right; it was doing it that was going to be the problem.**

"You'll do fine Harry" Perenelle said kindly to Harry who blushed at the fact she meant both him and his book self also at how she cared for him.

"**We won't practice with the Snitch yet," said Wood, carefully shutting it back inside the crate, "it's too dark, we might lose it. Let's try you out with a few of these."**

**He pulled a bag of ordinary golf balls out of his pocket and a few minutes later, he and Harry were up in the air, Wood throwing the golf balls as hard as he could in every direction for Harry to catch.** **Harry didn't miss a single one, and Wood was delighted. After half an hour, night had really fallen and they couldn't carry on.**

"Good you don't want to make yourself tired later on for classes tomorrow" said Perenelle concerned for Harry who smiled at the kindness shown by the nice woman.

**"****That Quidditch Cup'll have our name on it this year," said Wood happily as they trudged back up to the castle. "I wouldn't be surprised if you turn out better than Charlie Weasley, and he could have played for England if he hadn't gone off chasing dragons."**

"I thought he worked with them" Neville said confused at what Wood said but was silenced by his grandmother.

**Perhaps it was because he was now so busy, what with Quidditch practice three evenings a week on top of all his homework, but Harry could hardly believe it when he realized that he'd already been at Hogwarts two months. The castle felt more like home than Privet Drive ever had.**

"It shouldn't as your home is here now" Perenelle said to Harry who hugged her for her words and stayed with her for a while.

**His lessons, too, were becoming more and more interesting now that they had mastered the basics.**

There was a flash from above and all the people there saw was a black cloaked, hook nosed black haired man appear in one of the seats who at once had his wand out for danger but was shocked at who he saw in front of him

Nickolas approached the man cautiously and when the black haired man recognised him he said out shocked "Mr. Flamel" Nickolas nodded and said "Professor Snape I presume" Snape said curiously "yes, that's me but what is happening here" and Nickolas sat with the man and explained the situation to him and Snape was shocked at how Harry was treated by his relatives and how he was chosen to read the book but once everyone calmed down after a few moments and got into their proper seats they returned to reading.

**On Halloween morning they woke to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors. Even better, Professor Flitwick announced in Charms that he thought they were ready to start making objects fly, something they had all been dying to try since they'd seen him make Neville's toad zoom around the classroom.**

"Trevor better be ok" Neville said worried for his only pet.

**Professor Flitwick put the class into pairs to practice. Harry's partner was Seamus Finnegan (which was a relief, because Neville had been trying to catch his eye).**

Harry looked at Neville in apology for his actions which Neville returned the apology with a nod of forgiveness for Harry's book-self's actions.

**Ron, however, was to be working with Hermione Granger.**

"That's does not sound good" Jean and Harry said under their breaths.

**It was hard to tell whether Ron or Hermione was angrier about this. She hadn't spoken to either of them since the day Harry's broomstick had arrived.**

"Sorry Harry" Hermione said to the boy as he replied "Its fine".

"**Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" squeaked Professor** **Flitwick perched on top of his pile of books as usual. "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too — never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 'f' instead of 's' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest."**

Harry chuckled at this as well as Hermione at the mental picture.

**It was very difficult.**

**Harry and Seamus swished and flicked, but the feather they were supposed to be sending skyward just lay on the desktop. Seamus got so impatient that he prodded it with his wand and set fire to it — Harry had to put it out with his hat.**

"Only use the hats are for these days" Augusta said

**Ron, at the next table, wasn't having much more luck.**** "****Wingardium Leviosa!" he shouted, waving his long arms like a windmill. ****"****You're saying it wrong," Harry heard Hermione snap. "It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa; make the 'gar' nice and long."**

David groaned at this as he could see what might happen.

"**You do it, then, if you're so clever," Ron snarled.** **Hermione rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand, and said, "**Wingardium Leviosa!". The feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads. "Oh, well done!" cried Professor Flitwick, clapping. "Everyone see here, Miss Granger's done it!"

**Ron was in a very bad mood by the end of the class.**

The group looked nervous at what an emotional and angry 11 year old would do, while David kept muttering that it would get worse for her daughter than this boy.

"**It's no wonder no one can stand her," he said to Harry as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor, "she's a nightmare, honestly."**

**Someone knocked into Harry as they hurried past him. It was Hermione. Harry caught a glimpse of her face — and was startled to see that she was in tears.**

David went and hugged his daughter but was glaring at the book hoping to teach the boy a lesson if he saw him.

**"****I think she heard you."**** "****So?" said Ron, but he looked a bit uncomfortable. "She must've noticed she's got no friends."**

David was steaming at this point but did not want to shout in case her daughter heard some not too nice words being said about a certain red head.

**Hermione didn't turn up for the next class and wasn't seen all afternoon. On their way down to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, Harry and Ron overheard Parvati Patil telling her friend Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girls' bathroom and wanted to be left alone. Ron looked still more awkward at this, but a moment later they had entered the Great Hall, where the Halloween decorations put Hermione out of their minds.**

Harry said to Hermione "Sorry Hermione" as said girl was looking upset but choked out a "thank you Harry" in return for the apology.

**A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter. The feast appeared suddenly on the golden plates, as it had at the start-of-term banquet.**

Jean could understand why the boys forgot about her daughter for a moment as the feast does sound like a nice sight to see and would be quite distracting to see their first time doing so.

**Harry was just helping himself to a baked potato when Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the hall, his turban askew and terror on his face. Everyone stared as he reached Professor Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table, and gasped, "Troll — in the dungeons — thought you ought to know."**

Every adult in the group went mad with fright as to how their children would probably meet such a beast while in school but.

**He then sank to the floor in a dead faint.**

Snape narrowed his eyes at this as there was something not right with this.

**There was an uproar. It took several purple firecrackers exploding from the end of Professor Dumbledore's wand to bring silence.**** "****Prefects," he rumbled, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!"**

"That's a dumb idea" Nickolas said to Snape quietly who nodded as he was the head of Slytherin and there dormitory's are in the dungeon's but he would have to trust his head boy/girl and prefects to lead them to the library instead for safety.

**Percy was in his element.**** "****Follow me! Stick together, first years! No need to fear the troll if you follow my orders! Stay close behind me, now. Make way, first years coming through! Excuse me, I'm a prefect!"**

Harry kept thinking that Percy was acting more pompous than actually doing is job properly.

**"****How could a troll get in?" Harry asked as they climbed the stairs.**** "****Don't ask me, they're supposed to be really stupid," said Ron. "Maybe Peeves let it in for a Halloween joke."**

"I don't think that is possible as Peeves would just annoy anyone he is near to and is not capable of bringing a troll into the castle" Snape said to the children in the room.

**They passed different groups of people hurrying in different directions. As they jostled their way through a crowd of confused Hufflepuffs, Harry suddenly grabbed Ron's arm.** "**I've just thought — Hermione."**

"She doesn't know about the troll" Neville said shocked and Hermione paled at this also her parents were both holding her tight so they still know she is still there with them and not actually there.

**"****What about her?"**** "****She doesn't know about the troll."****Ron bit his lip.**** "****Oh, all right," he snapped. "But Percy had better not see us."**

"Right, worry about getting caught than worrying about my daughter finding the troll or it finding her" David muttered angrily to the book.

**Ducking down, they joined the Hufflepuffs going the other way, slipped down a deserted side corridor, and hurried off toward the girls' bathroom. They had just turned the corner when they heard quick footsteps behind them.**** "****Percy!" hissed Ron, pulling Harry behind a large stone griffin.****Peering around it, however, they saw not Percy but Snape. He crossed the corridor and disappeared from view.**

"What are you doing there Professor" Harry said to Snape and he replied "I have a feeling you will find out later Mr. Potter" as Snape thinks about his reason for being there but decides to finish hearing about the book

**"****What's he doing?" Harry whispered. "Why isn't he down in the dungeons with the rest of the teachers?"**** "****Search me."****Quietly as possible, they crept along the next corridor after Snape's fading footsteps.**** "****He's heading for the third floor," Harry said, but Ron held up his hand.**** "****Can you smell something?"****Harry sniffed and a foul stench reached his nostrils, a mixture of old socks and the kind of public toilet no one seems to clean.**

"The troll it's nearby" Nickolas said and everyone else stays silent waiting for what happens next.

**And then they heard it — a low grunting, and the shuffling footfalls of gigantic feet. Ron pointed — at the end of a passage to the left, something huge was moving toward them. They shrank into the shadows and watched as it emerged into a patch of moonlight.**

**It was a horrible sight. Twelve feet tall, its skin was dull, granite gray, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horny feet. The smell coming from it was incredible. It was holding a huge wooden club, which dragged along the floor because its arms were so long.****The troll stopped next to a doorway and peered inside. It waggled its long ears, making up its tiny mind, and then slouched slowly into the room.**** "****The keys in the lock," Harry muttered. "We could lock it in."****"****Good idea," said Ron nervously.**

"Yeah good idea" said Harry.

**They edged toward the open door, mouths dry, praying the troll wasn't about to come out of it. With one great leap, Harry managed to grab the key, slam the door, and lock it.**** "****Yes!" said Ron and Harry victoriously. Flushed with their victory, they started to run back up the passage, but as they reached the corner they heard something that made their hearts stop — a high, petrified scream — and it was coming from the chamber they'd just chained up**. "Oh, no," said Ron, pale as the Bloody Baron. "It's the girls' bathroom!" Harry gasped. "Hermione!" they said together.

"YOU LOCKED HER IN THERE" David bellowed angrily to which Harry shrunk down and tried to disappear from the irate parent while mumbling apologies.

**It was the last thing they wanted to do, but what choice did they have?**

"Thanks Harry for the choice you made" Hermione said to Harry who calmed down from David's anger after some hugs from Perenelle.

**Wheeling around, they sprinted back to the door and turned the key, fumbling in their panic. Harry pulled the door open and they ran inside.** **Hermione Granger was shrinking up against the wall opposite, looking as if she was about to faint. The troll was advancing on her, knocking the sinks off the walls as it went.**

Everyone was in silence over the frightening image it presented.

**"****Confuse it!" Harry said desperately to Ron, and, seizing a tap, he threw it as hard as he could against the wall.****The troll stopped a few feet from Hermione. It lumbered around, blinking stupidly, to see what had made the noise. Its mean little eyes saw Harry. It hesitated, then made for him instead, lifting its club as it went.**** "****Oy, pea-brain!" yelled Ron from the other side of the chamber, and he threw a metal pipe at it. The troll didn't even seem to notice the pipe hitting its shoulder, but it heard the yell and paused again, turning its ugly snout toward Ron instead, giving Harry time to run around it.**** "****Come on, run, run!" Harry yelled at Hermione, trying to pull her toward the door, but she couldn't move, she was still flat against the wall, her mouth open with terror.**

Hermione made a small note on her parchment _'next time when Harry says run do it and not freeze up'_.

**The shouting and the echoes seemed to be driving the troll berserk. It roared again and started toward Ron, who was nearest and had no way to escape.** **Harry then did something that was both very brave and very stupid: He took a great running jump and managed to fasten his arms around the troll's neck from behind.**

Perenelle was hugging Harry tightly at this as she read hoping that he was still okay.

**The troll couldn't feel Harry hanging there, but even a troll will notice if you stick a long bit of wood up its nose, and Harry's wand had still been in his hand when he'd jumped – it had gone straight up one of the troll's nostrils.**

"Yuck" Neville said and everyone nodded at this with scrunched up faces at the image it made.

**Howling with pain, the troll twisted and flailed its club, with Harry clinging on for dear life; any second, the troll was going to rip him off or catch him a terrible blow with the club.** **Hermione had sunk to the floor in fright; Ron pulled out his own wand — not knowing what he was going to do he heard himself cry the first spell that came into his head: "Wingardium Leviosa!"**

"Please work" Harry and Hermione muttered to each other.

**The club flew suddenly out of the troll's hand, rose high, high up into the air, turned slowly over — and dropped, with a sickening crack, onto its owner's head.**

"Ouch" Neville said with a wince at the reminder at how he could have cracked his head open if he didn't bounce on those steps when he was younger.

**The troll swayed on the spot and then fell flat on its face, with a thud that made the whole room tremble.**

"Yes it worked" Neville, Harry and Hermione cheered together.

**Harry got to his feet. He was shaking and out of breath. Ron was standing there with his wand still raised, staring at what he had done.****It was Hermione who spoke first ****"****Is it — dead?"**** "****I don't think so," said Harry, "I think it's just been knocked out."****He bent down and pulled his wand out of the troll's nose. It was covered in what looked like lumpy gray glue.**** "****Urgh — troll boogers."**

**He wiped it on the troll's trousers.**

"Harry you should take better care of your wand" Perenelle said to Harry who nodded and made a note of it in his notepad.

**A sudden slamming and loud footsteps made the three of them look up. They hadn't realized what a racket they had been making, but of course, someone downstairs must have heard the crashes and the troll's roars. A moment later, Professor McGonagall had come bursting into the room, closely followed by Snape, with Quirrell bringing up the rear. Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper, and sat quickly down on a toilet, clutching his heart.**

Snape narrowed his eyes at this.

**Snape bent over the troll. Professor McGonagall was looking at Ron and Harry. Harry had never seen her look so angry. Her lips were white.**

"That's not good" Nickolas said who remembered when she had done that in front of him at one time when Albus had introduced him to her and he had done a small joke about cats which she did not find amusing.

**Hopes of winning fifty points for Gryffindor faded quickly from Harry's mind.**

Everyone chuckled at this and Harry blushed as the mood lightened.

**"****What on earth were you thinking of?" said Professor McGonagall, with cold fury in her voice. Harry looked at Ron, who was still standing with his wand in the air. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"** **Snape gave Harry a swift, piercing look. Harry looked at the floor. He wished Ron would put his wand down.**

"That would have helped a bit" Hermione said nervously.

**Then a small voice came out of the shadows**** "****Please, Professor McGonagall — they were looking for me."**** "****Miss Granger!"****Hermione had managed to get to her feet at last.**** "****I went looking for the troll because I — I thought I could deal with it on my own — you know, because I've read all about them."**

Everyone else in the room was looking at the girl in shock at her not telling the truth to a teacher and even Hermione could not believe it herself.

**Ron dropped his wand. Hermione Granger, telling a downright lie to a teacher?**** "****If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Harry stuck his wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived."****Harry and Ron tried to look as though this story wasn't new to them.**

"I bet you didn't make it look as truthful as you wanted" Neville said in amusement.

"**Well — in that case…" said Professor McGonagall, staring at the three of them, "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"** **Hermione hung her head. Harry was speechless. Hermione was the last person to do anything against the rules, and here she was, pretending she had, to get them out of trouble. It was as if Snape had started handing out sweets.**

Said person was looking on in amusement in him doing such a thing but it would be funny to him to see the faces of those he did do it to.

"**Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this," said Professor McGonagall. "I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses."**

**Hermione left.**

Said girl sighed in relief and continued listening to the chapter.

**Professor McGonagall turned to Harry and Ron. **** "****Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win Gryffindor five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go." ****They hurried out of the chamber and didn't speak at all until they had climbed two floors up. It was a relief to be away from the smell of the troll, quite apart from anything else.**

"I should hope so" said David who calmed down a lot now.

**"****We should have gotten more than ten points," Ron grumbled.**

"Insensitive prat" Hermione mumbled annoyed.

**"****Five, you mean, once she's taken off Hermione's."**** "****Good of her to get us out of trouble like that," Ron admitted. "Mind you, we did save her."**** "****She might not have needed saving if we hadn't locked the thing in with her," Harry reminded him.**

Everyone nodded at this

**They had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.**** "****Pig snout," they said and entered.****The common room was packed and noisy. Everyone was eating the food that had been sent up. Hermione, however, stood alone by the door, waiting for them. There was a very embarrassed pause. Then, none of them looking at each other, they all said "Thanks," and hurried off to get plates.****But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend.**

Everyone looked confused at how this happened.

**There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them."**

Everyone nodded laughing at this as it made it so much better to understand.

"That's the end of this chapter" Perenelle said

"Want to have some food first" Nickolas said and everyone nodded then went and had food and once it was all put away afterwards David picked up the book for the next chapter and began to read.

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><p>Please review and for you flamers and whiners - GO TO HELL MOTHERF***RS I JUST GOT TO MAKE MY OWN STYLE IN THIS CHAPTER AND THE OTHERS FROM BEFORE WERE FROM WHO I ADOPTED IT FROM SO SHUT YOUR F***ING MOUTHS ABOUT WHAT I WRITE OK. <span>DO YOU<span> UNDERSTAND YOU SACKS OF S**T SO F**K OFF ABOUT MY WAY OF WRITING ESPECIALLY YOU MOSH. Ok bye now see ya later (saying sweetly). 


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Hello readers and thank you for being as patient as can be about my time off as described in my profile if you have no idea what I mean then please look at it. Also for those who expected my Rosario vampire crossover with Smallville to be the latest updated story I am still working on it but I will try my best to finish it and I will maybe do so after my other larger fanfic's are complete or once the summer holidays are on or when I go for break from college.

Also I do not own anything or anyone as Harry Potter is property of J.K Rowling and I just like her work but if I did own it I would change a few things like make sure Harry is friends with others and not Ron as I do not like him as he is my second most hated potter character for how insensitive he is and how stupid he can be about things like how both Harry and Hermione are muggle raised and he thinks of Harry's fame. For those who have noticed some changes in the first few chapters of the fic is that I had done that so as to not cause confusion to those who are slow readers and I think that everyone will know, which is the right chapter with the story of HP & the PS by now so I will be not changing it as I do not like flamers who can act like ***holes about my fic's as I had explained 'oh so nicely and sweetly to you' anyway on with the story.

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><p>David had picked up the book and read out the next chapter saying, <strong>"Quidditch".<strong>

Harry smiled at his hearing of himself playing the sport on the team.

"**As they entered November, the weather turned very cold. The mountains around the school became icy gray and the lake like chilled steel. Every morning the ground was covered in frost.**

**Hagrid could be seen from the upstairs windows defrosting broomsticks on the Quidditch field, bundled up in a long moleskin overcoat, rabbit fur gloves and enormous beaverskin boots.**

Nicholas chuckled at Hagrid's choice of clothes for winter and the size of foot prints in the snow he would make.

**The Quidditch season had begun."**

Neville like Harry did earlier as he wanted to find out about Harry's first game as Seeker.

"**On Saturday, Harry would be playing in his first match after weeks of training: Gryffindor versus Slytherin."**

Perenelle worried as those particular matches were brutal and did not want to be given a fright of how Harry was in the middle of it.

"**It was really lucky that Harry now had Hermione as a friend. He didn't know how he'd have gotten through all his homework without her,"**

Hermione had a hurt yet miffed look on her face at how Harry seemed to just need her for schoolwork but was feeling better when Harry seemed to understand her thoughts and spoke to her "Hermione I don't mean that and I want you to be my real friend not just someone who does my work when I ask, I probably just needed help with things as I have trouble dealing with all this magical stuff than you do as you seem quite capable of handling this than me".

Jean smiled a look of gratitude at how Harry seemed to care for her daughter and by the look on her little girls face she seemed to be happy at Harry's speech and was not as sad and they all returned to the story as David continued.

"**What with all the last-minute Quidditch practice Wood was making them do. She had also lent him Quidditch Through the Ages, which turned out to be a very interesting read.**

"It is a good book" Nickolas said as he enjoyed reading it when he had a cup of tea, sitting next to a fire in the afternoons when he took breaks from Alchemy Research.

**Harry learned that there were seven hundred ways of committing a Quidditch foul and that all of them had happened during a World Cup match in 1473; that Seekers were usually the smallest and fastest players, and that most serious Quidditch accidents seemed to happen to them; that although people rarely died playing Quidditch, referees had been known to vanish and turn up months later in the Sahara Desert.**

David paused at this as it did seem weird that this would happen but he just shrugged and thought of how magic worked in strange ways such as this whole type of meeting of everyone here and of reading this book to each other so he continued to read.

**Hermione had become a bit more relaxed about breaking rules since Harry and Ron had saved her from the mountain troll and she was much nicer for it."**

Hermione huffed at this but Harry, Neville and David silently chuckled to each other when she was not looking in agreement at Hermione learning to accept loosing.

**The day before Harry's first Quidditch match the three of them were out in the freezing courtyard during break, and she had conjured them up a bright blue fire that could be carried around in a jam jar. **

"Imperssive Miss Granger for the spellwork you have done" Nickolas said to a now blushing but pleased looking Hermione at being praised.

**They were standing with their backs to it, getting warm, when Snape crossed the yard. Harry noticed at once that Snape was limping. Harry, Ron, and Hermione moved closer together to block the fire from view; they were sure it wouldn't be allowed. **

Snape was now frowning and knew what might happen but decided to prepare for what he may do.

**Unfortunately, something about their guilty faces caught Snape's eye. He limped over. He hadn't seen the fire, but he seemed to be looking for a reason to tell them off anyway.**

"**What's that you've got there, Potter?"**

**It was **_**Quidditch Through the Ages**_**. Harry showed him.**

"**Library books are not to be taken outside the school," said Snape. "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor."**

Perenelle was giving Snape a dirty look at the abuse of his positon and Harry gave the man a glare for doing it.

Snape sighed as he spoke "I know why you are looking at me like that but this Snape in the book is a Snape who hates Harry's father for something he did and no I will not say why I do as it will be probably mentioned in the book and I had passed my hatred from him to you Harry but I do not now the real you as I understand your life now better than anyone so please don't hate me" Snape was pleading but upset at how his book-self was acting also he was trying to tell Harry to not blame him as this is not the person he is now.

"**He's just made that rule up," Harry muttered angrily as Snape limped away. "Wonder what's wrong with his leg?"**

"**Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him," said Ron bitterly.**

Snape was glaring at the book for the red headed idiots comment at how he wished him pain but he could also understand why he said it, it was just that he was to angry to speak out loud about it or agree with himself on this.

**The Gryffindor common room was very noisy that evening. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat together next to a window. Hermione was checking Harry and Ron's Charms homework for them. She would never let them copy ("How will you learn?"), but by asking her to read it through, they got the right answers anyway.**

Hermione narrowed her eyes at Harry whle he was trying to not bolt out of his seat from the look coming from Hermione and the one combined with Perenelle was now giving which he now noticed and made a mental note as he was frozen temporally and could not write it down from both women's looks towards him while thinking to himself '_Try to do better and not be lazy also do not get Hermione angry she's scary_'.

**Harry felt restless. He wanted Quidditch Through the Ages back, to take his mind off his nerves about tomorrow. Why should he be afraid of Snape? **

"You really don't need to be afraid of me Harry as I will probably have to give you the book back at the end of the year as I am just doing this cause at the time I am acting like my old self" Snape said To Harry as to relieve the boy of his noticable tension which was building up from some of the words & sentences in the book.

**Getting up, he told Ron and Hermione he was going to ask Snape if he could have it.**

Snape raised an eyebrow at this but did not comment.

"**Better you than me," they said together, but Harry had an idea that Snape wouldn't refuse if there were other teachers listening.**

Neville smiled at this as it did seem like a good way to deal with the problem and so did others but they did not speak of it.

**He made his way down to the staffroom and knocked. There was no answer. He knocked again. Nothing.**

**Perhaps Snape had left the book in there? It was worth a try. He pushed the door ajar and peered inside – and a horrible scene met his eyes.**

**Snape and Filch were inside, alone. **

Nicholas and David shuddered at this.

**Snape was holding his robes above his knees. **

Said man was gagging at the supposed horrid image of this and was deadly hoping that it was not as it seems.

"**One of his legs was bloody and mangled. Filch was handing Snape bandages.**

Everyone who was an adult sighed with at this in relief of the possible images that would have been made of this and not to have actually seen or read anything like that in the book but the children were confused by this but shrugged it off.

"**Blasted thing," Snape was saying. "How are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?"**

"Hm" Snape pondered on this as he was sure he may have been checking the defensible protections of the stone of which he solved previously on the Halloween chapter and was wondering why the headmaster felt it was important enough to need protection stronger than that of Gringotts for the philosophers stone.

"**Harry tried to shut the door quietly, but —**

"**POTTER!"**

**Snape's face was twisted with fury as he dropped his robes quickly to hide his leg. Harry gulped.**

"**I just wondered if I could have my book back."**

"**GET OUT! OUT! "**

**Harry left, before Snape could take any more points from Gryffindor. He sprinted back upstairs.**

Hermione giggled silently at Harry's antics of being caught while sneaking around.

"**Did you get it?" Ron asked as Harry joined them. "What's the matter?"**

**In a low whisper, Harry told them what he'd seen.**

"**You know what this means?" he finished breathlessly. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Halloween! That's where he was going when we saw him — he's after whatever it's guarding! And I'd bet my broomstick he let that troll in, to make a diversion!"**

Nicholas and Snape were shaking there heads at the accusations and Augusta was narrowing their eyes at this as she was suspicious of what was going on but kept it to herself.

"**Hermione's eyes were wide.**

"**No — he wouldn't," she said. "I know he's not very nice, but he wouldn't try and steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe."**

"Thank you Miss Granger for your defense but I do not need it yet I do appreciate your actions" Snape said to a blushing now Hermione.

**"Honestly, Hermione, you think all teachers are saints or something," snapped Ron. "I'm with Harry. I wouldn't put anything past Snape. But what's he after? What's that dog guarding?"**

Hermione was glaring at the book for the low-blow to her from the red-haired buffoon but was snapped out of her angry thoughts by Her mother speaking "Hermione I have to agree to some of what he says as you do act too trusting towards teachers and you should remember what they can be also capable of, I mean from what Harry has told us of his old primary school it seems that his teachers were not that helpful against his cousin whom we know is a bully and was not punished for it which shows how the teachers there can not really care about their pupils and just pretend to do there job properly and you must remember dear that they are also human beings who can do wrong and be horrible when that can also turn a blind eye to what does not concern them personally and sometimes this makes them not nice people and also think about it if you were somehow possibly in a similar primary school like Harry, what would your life had been like and also Harry could not do anything as he felt helpless as you may have been if you were him".

Hermione digested this information and thought of how her Mother seemed to be able to make sense to her about Harry's education and life growing up at his Primary school as hers was more of an elite private one than his and of course her old teachers were better and more capable of teaching and taking care of problems but it still made her think of how she would feel in Harry's educational point of view in how he was treated and bullied as she was bullied herself but her teachers were able to stop that fairly quickly and help her but she decided to think more on this another time and pay attention to the story.

**Harry went to bed with his head buzzing with the same question. Neville was snoring loudly, but Harry couldn't sleep. He tried to empty his mind — he needed to sleep, he had to, he had his first Quidditch match in a few hours –"**

Harry smiled at his chance of a first game as the new seeker for the future team he was playing as was everyone else in their own way.

"**but the expression on Snape's face when Harry had seen his leg wasn't easy to forget.**

Snape groaned at this as he felt as if he will be suspected nearly throughout the book and did not want to hear more about his supposed accusations of being the 'bad guy' as it were.

**The next morning dawned very bright and cold. The Great Hall was full of the delicious smell of fried sausages and the cheerful chatter of everyone looking forward to a good Quidditch match.**

**"You've got to eat some breakfast."**

"**I don't want anything."**

"**Just a bit of toast," wheedled Hermione.**

"**I'm not hungry."**

**Harry felt terrible. In an hour's time he'd be walking onto the field.**

Harry grimaced at his lack of courage before his game and was not liking the look Perenelle was giving him as she seemed to be annoyed at his lack of eating before quidditch and he felt that she will be force feeding him next time he is going to eat when nervous.

"**Harry, you need your strength," said Seamus Finnegan. "Seekers are always the ones who get clobbered by the other team."**

"Well that was helpful advice," said Harry sarcastically.

**"Thanks, Seamus," said Harry, watching Seamus pile ketchup on his sausages.**

**By eleven o'clock the whole school seemed to be out in the stands around the Quidditch pitch. Many students had binoculars. The seats might be raised high in the air, but it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes.**

**Ron and Hermione joined Neville, Seamus, and Dean the West Ham fan up in the top row. As a surprise for Harry, they had painted a large banner on one of the sheets Scabbers had ruined."**

Harry said to Neville and Hermione "thanks guys for that" said friends were beaming at him as they both replied "your welcome Harry".

"**It said Potter for President, and Dean, who was good at drawing, had done a large Gryffindor lion underneath. Then Hermione had performed a tricky little charm so that the paint flashed different colors."**

"Wow, you sound like you've got a real talent for charms," said Neville to Hermione which caused her to be embarrassed at the praise but happy at the compliment.

"**Meanwhile, in the locker room, Harry and the rest of the team were changing into their scarlet Quidditch robes (Slytherin would be playing in green).**

**Wood cleared his throat for silence.**

"**Okay, men," he said.**

"**And women," said Chaser Angelina Johnson.**

**"And women," Wood agreed. "This is it."**

**"The big one," said Fred Weasley.**

"**The one we've all been waiting for," said George.**

****"We know Oliver's speech by heart," Fred told Harry, "we were on the team last year."****

"Guess he repeats himself a lot?" Harry said while he and Neville chuckled.

"**Shut up, you two," said Wood. "This is the best team Gryffindor's had in years. We're going to win. I know it."**

**He glared at them all as if to say, "Or else."**

"He didn't need the glare he just needed to say his speech and get on with the game plan" Nicholas said shaking his head at the poor scare tactic.

**"Right. It's time. Good luck, all of you."**

**Harry followed Fred and George out of the locker room and, hoping his knees weren't going to give way, walked onto the field to loud cheers.**

**Madam Hooch was refereeing. She stood in the middle of the field waiting for the two teams, her broom in her hand.**

Augusta smiled at her old friend refereeing as she often had her round for tea discussions during the holidays when her Grandson would be busy in the greenhouses.

"**Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you," she said, once they were all gathered around her."**

"Not bloody likely, I've never heard of a clean Gryffindor-Slytherin game." Nicholas said which gave him a whack behind the head from his wife who was glaring at him for the language in-front of the children in the room to which they laughed at his injured puppy look he seemed to be giving to his wife for hitting him.

"**Harry noticed that she seemed to be speaking particularly to the Slytherin Captain, Marcus Flint, a sixth year. Harry thought Flint looked as if he had some troll blood in him."**

Snape smirked a little bit at this as he remembers thinking the same thing when Flint was in his first year of school at the house meeting of new pupils of Slytherin.

"**Out of the corner of his eye he saw the fluttering banner high above, flashing Potter for President over the crowd. His heart skipped. He felt braver."**

"Glad we could help," Hermione smiled at Harry along with Neville.

"**Mount your brooms, please."**

**Harry clambered onto his Nimbus Two Thousand.**

**Madam Hooch gave a loud blast on her silver whistle.**

**Fifteen brooms rose up, high, high into the air. They were off.**

**"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor — what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too —"**

Nicholas chuckled at the boys bravery saying that in-front of Minerva as she always is near the commentator from what he remembers.

**"JORDAN!"**

"**Sorry, Professor."**

**The Weasley twins' friend, Lee Jordan, was doing the commentary for the match, closely watched by Professor McGonagall.**

"**And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet,**

****a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve — back to Johnson and — no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes — Flint flying like an eagle up there — he's going to sc— no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle — that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and — OUCH — that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger — Quaffle taken by the Slytherins — that's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goal posts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger — sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which — nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes — she's really flying — dodges a speeding Bludger — the goal posts are ahead — come on, now, Angelina — Keeper Bletchley dives — misses — GRYFFINDORS SCORE!"#****

The children along with the flamels cheered at this loudly and settled back to watch the game.

"**Gryffindor cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the Slytherins.**

"**Budge up there, move along."**

"**Hagrid!"**

**Ron and Hermione squeezed together to give Hagrid enough space to join them."**

"Hang on," Harry said frowning. "This chapter isn't in my perspective."

"Well probably because if it was in your perspective it would just be you holding onto a broom," Snape said sarcastically to Harry who blushed but nodded in understanding.

**"Bin watchin' from me hut," said Hagrid, patting a large pair of binoculars around his neck, "But it isn't the same as bein' in the crowd. No sign of the Snitch yet, eh?"**

"**Nope," said Ron. "Harry hasn't had much to do yet."**

"**Kept outta trouble, though, that's somethin'," said Hagrid, raising his binoculars and peering skyward at the speck that was Harry.**

**Way up above them, Harry was gliding over the game, squinting about for some sign of the Snitch. This was part of his and Wood's game plan.**

"**Keep out of the way until you catch sight of the Snitch," Wood had said. "We don't want you attacked before you have to be."**

"Good plan for you Harry it is a bit safer for you to play by doing this"Nicholas said to Harry who nodded.

"**When Angelina had scored, Harry had done a couple of loop-the-loops to let off his feelings. Now he was back to staring around for the Snitch. Once he caught sight of a flash of gold, but it was just a reflection from one of the Weasleys' wristwatches, and once a Bludger decided to come pelting his way, more like a cannonball than anything, but Harry dodged it and Fred Weasley came chasing after it.**

"**All right there, Harry?" he had time to yell, as he beat the Bludger furiously toward Marcus Flint.**

"Good hit" Nicholas supplied as he did play beater for Ravenclaw in his youth.

"**Slytherin in possession," Lee Jordan was saying, "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the — wait a moment — was that the Snitch?"**

**A murmur ran through the crowd as Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle, too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had passed his left ear."**

"Idiot" Snape muttered.

"**Harry saw it. In a great rush of excitement he dived downward after the streak of gold. Slytherin Seeker Terence Higgs had seen it, too. Neck and neck they hurtled toward the Snitch — all the Chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in midair to watch.**

**Harry was faster than Higgs — he could see the little round ball, wings fluttering, darting up ahead — he put on an extra spurt of speed —**

**WHAM! A roar of rage echoed from the Gryffindors below — Marcus Flint had blocked Harry on purpose,"**

"THAT IS A FOUL YOU CHEAT" David bellowed at the dirty move the captain of the snake team had made.

"**and Harry's broom spun off course, Harry holding on for dear life.**

Perenelle was biting her lip the same as Hermione in being worried for Harry.

"**Foul!" screamed the Gryffindors.**

**Madam Hooch spoke angrily to Flint and then ordered a free shot at the goal posts for Gryffindor. But in all the confusion, of course, the Golden Snitch had disappeared from sight again.**

**Down in the stands, Dean Thomas was yelling, "Send him off, ref! Red card!"**

David nodded at this but was confused by the looks from the magical people in the Room.

"Red Card" Neville asked befuddled at the use of term.

**"What are you talking about, Dean?" said Ron.**

"**Red card!" said Dean furiously. "In football you get shown the red card and you're out of the game!"**

"**But this isn't football, Dean," Ron reminded him.**

"non-magical sport" Hermione explained to the magical people and also said it was the same as Soccer but just a different name for it.

**Hagrid, however, was on Dean's side.**

"**They oughta change the rules. Flint coulda knocked Harry outta the air."**

Perenelle and David were nodding at this as they agreed with Hagrid on this and Augusta was thinking on this as a topic to be brought up in the next magical government meeting to promote safety for students and players of the magical sport.

**Lee Jordan was finding it difficult not to take sides.**

"**So — after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating —"**

Harry smiled at this bit of humor.

**"Jordan!" growled Professor McGonagall.**

"**I mean, after that open and revolting foul…"**

"**Jordan, I'm warning you—"**

"**All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinner, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."**

"He has got guts doing that in-front of Minerva"Snape and Nickolas said to each other. While Harry and Neville grin to each other at Lee's commentary.

**It was as Harry dodged another Bludger, which went spinning dangerously past his head, that it happened. His broom gave a sudden, frightening lurch."**

"That does sound frightening, doesn't it," Hermione said looking nervous.

"**For a split second, he thought he was going to fall. He gripped the broom tightly with both his hands and knees. He'd never felt anything like that.**

**It happened again. It was as though the broom was trying to buck him off."**

"Get to the ground Harry!" Hermione shouted. While Perenelle was muttering to herself quietly _"He'll be fine" _Herself over and over in hopes of Harry surviving.

"**But Nimbus Two Thousands did not suddenly decide to buck their riders off. Harry tried to turn back toward the Gryffindor goal-posts — he had half a mind to ask Wood to call time-out — and then he realized that his broom was completely out of his control. He couldn't turn it. He couldn't direct it at all. It was zigzagging through the air, and every now and then making violent swishing movements that almost unseated him. Lee was still commentating.**

Everyone groaned at this as there was as not anyone that seemed to have noticed.

"**Slytherin in possession — Flint with the Quaffle — passes Spinnet — passes Bell — hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose — only joking, Professor — Slytherins score — A no…"**

**The Slytherins were cheering. No one seemed to have noticed that Harry's broom was behaving strangely. It was carrying him slowly higher, away from the game, jerking and twitching as it went.**

"**Dunno what Harry thinks he's doing," Hagrid mumbled. He stared through his binoculars. "If I didn' know better, I'd say he'd lost control of his broom… but he can't have…"**

**Suddenly, people were pointing up at Harry all over the stands. His broom had started to roll over and over, with him only just managing to hold on. Then the whole crowd gasped. Harry's broom had given a wild jerk and Harry swung off it."**

"NO HARRY" Perenelle shouted as she grabbed Harry and hugged him close in reassurance that he was ok and not hurt.

"**He was now dangling from it, holding on with only one hand.**

Perenelle whimpered at this.

"**He was now dangling from it, holding on with only one hand.**

"**Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him?" Seamus whispered.**

"**Can't have," Hagrid said, his voice shaking. "Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark magic — no kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand."**

**At these words, Hermione seized Hagrid's binoculars, but instead of looking up at Harry, she started looking frantically at the crowd."**

"Good Idea you can find who is cursing the broom while Harry is still holding on" Nickolas said to Hermione.

**"What are you doing?" moaned Ron, gray-faced.**

"**I knew it," Hermione gasped, "Snape — look."**

Snape frowned at this as he did not like his name being used that way.

"**Ron grabbed the binoculars. Snape was in the middle of the stands opposite them. He had his eyes fixed on Harry and was muttering nonstop under his breath."**

"I am probably trying to do the counter-curse for whoever is doing this to Harry" Snape said to everyone.

**"He's doing something — jinxing the broom," said Hermione.**

"**What should we do?"**

"**Leave it to me."**

**Before Ron could say another word, Hermione had disappeared. Ron turned the binoculars back on Harry. His broom was vibrating so hard, it was almost impossible for him to hang on much longer. The whole crowd was on its feet, watching, terrified, as the Weasleys flew up to try and pull Harry safely onto one of their brooms, but it was no good – every time they got near him, the broom would jump higher still. They dropped lower and circled beneath him, obviously hoping to catch him if he fell."**

Mrs Granger shook at this and hope that Harry was ok.

"**Marcus Flint seized the Quaffle and scored five times without anyone noticing."**

"Bloody cheater." Neville said crossly.

**"Come on, Hermione," Ron muttered desperately.**

**Hermione had fought her way across to the stand where Snape stood, and was now racing along the row behind him; she didn't even stop to say sorry as she knocked Professor Quirrell headfirst into the row in front."**

Snape narrowed his eyes at the mention of Quirrell but did not comment.

"**Reaching Snape, she crouched down, pulled out her wand, and whispered a few, well-chosen words. Bright blue flames shot from her wand onto the hem of Snape's robes."**

Snape was glaring at Hermione in anger at the possible danger she could have caused "Miss Granger if you had missed you could have set the stands on fire and harmed many people, you should remember to think of the dangers you could have caused if you rush and do not act right you were lucky that no one was harmed" Hermione looked sheepish at this as she did not know that might have happened if she made a mistake.

"**It took perhaps thirty seconds for Snape to realize that he was on fire. A sudden yelp told her she had done her job. Scooping the fire off him into a little jar in her pocket, she scrambled back along the row — Snape would never know what had happened."**

Snape scowled at this knowing that he does now.

"**It was enough. Up in the air, Harry was suddenly able to clamber back on to his broom.**

Perenelle sighed in relief at Harry being safe and loosened her hold slightly but did not let go as Harry had his head rested on her chest also in relief.

"**Neville, you can look!" Ron said. Neville had been sobbing into Hagrid's jacket for the last five minutes."**

Neville was embarrassed at this and flinched at the look from his grandmother but then stared back defiantly at her saying "I was worried about Harry so do not go glaring at me for being concerned for my friend and emotional about it so quit it" Augusta was shocked at her grandson's defiant response but was slightly proud at this show of backbone so she remained silent.

"**Harry was speeding toward the ground when the crowd saw him clap his hand to his mouth as though he was about to be sick — he hit the field on all fours — coughed — and something gold fell into his hand."**

"You caught in in your _mouth_!" everyone besides Harry yelled in amazement.

**"I've got the Snitch!" he shouted, waving it above his head, and the game ended in complete confusion.**

"**He didn't catch it, he nearly swallowed it," Flint was still howling twenty minutes later, but it made no difference —****"**

"Nicholas nodded at this as the game was over.

"**Harry hadn't broken any rules and Lee Jordan was still happily shouting the results — Gryffindor had won by one hundred and seventy points to sixty. Harry heard none of this, though.**

"Huh" Harry said confused.

**He was being made a cup of strong tea back in Hagrid's hut, with Ron and Hermione."**

Harry nodded in understanding now.

"**It was Snape," Ron was explaining, "Hermione and I saw him. He was cursing your broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off you."**

**"Rubbish," said Hagrid, who hadn't heard a word of what had gone on next to him in the stands. "Why would Snape do somethin' like that?"**

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at one another, wondering what to tell him. Harry decided on the truth.**

"**I found out something about him," he told Hagrid. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding."**

**Hagrid dropped the teapot.**

"**How do you know about Fluffy?" he said.****"**

"Fluffy everyone asked bewildered at the name of the Cerberus guarding the stone.

"Well Hagrid does name dangerous creatures in a cute and harmless way and regular creatures get dangerous sounding names. Take for instance, Fang, he wouldn't harm a fly, then Fluffy is obviously extremely dangerous," Snape said to the others who nodded in understanding.

**"Fluffy?"**

"**Yeah — he's mine — bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year — I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the —"**

Harry leaned forward in anticipation of the answer even though he knew already he could feel his book-self's excitement at the answer he may get.

**"Yes?" said Harry eagerly.**

"**Now, don't ask me anymore," said Hagrid gruffly. "That's top secret, that is."**

"**But Snape's trying to steal it."**

"**Rubbish," said Hagrid again. "Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin' of the sort."**

Said man nodded at Hagrid's defense.

"**So why did he just try and kill Harry?" cried Hermione.**

**The afternoon's events certainly seemed to have changed her mind about Snape.**

Hermione blushed at her stubborn attitude about Snape and was berating herself for not knowing all the facts before she was accusing someone.

"**I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid, I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!"**

Hermione blushed further at her attitude.

**"I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong!" said Hagrid hotly. "I don' know why Harry's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all three of yeh — yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel —"**

"Ah yes it is me" Nickolas said mysteriously with a mischievous glint in his eye to which everyone laughed at.

**"Aha!" said Harry, "so there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?"**

**Hagrid looked furious with himself."**

"That's the end of this chapter who wants to read next" David asked and Snape replied "I will" and took the book for the next chapter to be read.

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><p>What do you think, please review and comment.<p> 


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I am continuing this story now but I am sorry for the wait as I had to deal with birthdays and summer chores and could not get a lot of free time to write them for a while and with a few new additions to my favourite story section and alerts for others I was distracted. For those who had reviewed my last updated story I am pleased with some of them but I will fix a few mistakes later as I just want to get these longer stories done soon and to continue with my other 1 chaptered stories.

I do not own anyone or anything related to Rowling's books.

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><p>"<strong>The Mirror of Erised<strong>," read Snape out loud.

Nickolas perked up at this as he remembered the name from somewhere but listened some more while trying to remember why he knew this.

**Christmas was coming. One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake froze solid and the Weasley twins were punished for bewitching several snowballs so that they followed Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban.**

Harry chuckled at the twins actions while Snape narrowed his eyes at the mentioning of Quirrell but continued reading.

**The few owls that managed to battle their way through the stormy sky to deliver mail had to be nursed back to health by Hagrid before they could fly off again. No one could wait for the holidays to start.**

Perenell looked sympathetic at the owls troubles but kept quiet.

**While the Gryffindor common room and the Great Hall had roaring fires, the drafty corridors had become icy and a bitter wind rattled the windows in the classrooms. Worst of all were Professor Snape's classes down in the dungeons, where their breath rose in a mist before them and they kept as close as possible to their hot cauldrons.**

David said to Snape curiously "Why don't you place some kind of heating spells on the walls to save students from Flu or the cold during lessons in the winter and in the halls but have them controlled by the teachers" Snape raised his eyebrows at this idea and replied "We had not thought of that before but it may work if we are careful as some potions can react badly to certain conditions and the cauldrons are already heated and too much heat at certain times may cause problems for students who are brewing certain types of potions that can cause accidents" David nodded in acceptance of the answer and listened to the rest of the story.

"**I do feel so sorry," said Draco Malfoy, one Potions class, "for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home."**

The adults narrowed their eyes at the boys words while growling slightly and Snape thought to himself _"I will have to speak to Draco when he comes to school about his attitude and try to curb his idiotic tendencies at goading people"._

**He was looking over at Harry as he spoke.**

Perenell eyes flashed at this and held Harry close for comfort who was looking a little down at the jibes he was hearing about himself but smiled at Perenell in thanks which she returned.

**Crabbe and Goyle chuckled.**

Neville was thinking _"Idiots"_

**Harry, who was measuring out powdered spine of lionfish, ignored them.**

**Malfoy had been even more unpleasant than usual since the Quidditch match. Disgusted that the Slytherins had lost, he had tried to get everyone laughing at how a wide-mouthed tree frog would be replacing Harry as Seeker next.**

**Then he'd realized that nobody found this funny, because they were all so impressed at the way Harry had managed to stay on his bucking broomstick.**

Nickolas and Neville chuckled at how daft the Malfoy kid was being about it all.

**So Malfoy, jealous and angry, had gone back to taunting Harry about having no proper family.**

Nickolas and Perenell shouted out "WE ARE HIS FAMILY YOU DISGUSTING BRAT" as Harry looked at them in shock and said " really you are" in a small but astonished voice which Perenell said to him kindly "yes Harry as soon as we are done with this book Me and Nickolas will make sure you are a part of our family and not be going back to those horrid people ever again" to which Harry jumped up and hugged both of them shouting out " Thank you Auntie Nell, Uncle Nick" The elderly couple had wide smiles and tears of joy on their faces at their names made by Harry and along with Harry he felt so happy at this new development were they all sat together on the 3-person couch surrounded by the smiling group who were with them.

**It was true that Harry wasn't going back to Privet Drive for Christmas. Professor McGonagall had come around the week before, making a list of students who would be staying for the holidays, and Harry had signed up at once. He didn't feel sorry for himself at all; this would probably be the best Christmas he'd ever had.**

Harry was told by Perenell who said " we can make it better for you as you will be with us this Christmas we promise you that Harry" to which Harry beamed about and hugged his new aunt and uncle tighter in happiness.

**Ron and his brothers were staying, too, because Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were going to Romania to visit Charlie.**

David nodded in thought at how much trouble the red headed idiot will be with Harry while his daughter may be with them during Christmas and not keep them in line while his wife was thinking along similar lines but smiling slightly at how thoughtful the Weasley parents were at visiting their son.

**When they left the dungeons at the end of Potions, they found a large fir tree blocking the corridor ahead. Two enormous feet sticking out at the bottom and a loud puffing sound told them that Hagrid was behind it.**

Nickolas and Harry chuckled at Hagrid's description.

"**Hi, Hagrid, want any help?" Ron asked, sticking his head through the branches.**

"**Nah, I'm all right, thanks, Ron."**

"**Would you mind moving out of the way?" came Malfoy's cold drawl from behind them.**

Jean groaned at the brats actions.

**"Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley? Hoping to be gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose — that hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what your family's used to."**

Augusta's eyes flashed at the insult towards the Weasley family who she knew were great people despite their poor living style.

**Ron dived at Malfoy just as Snape came up the stairs.**

Snape groaned at the possible outcome of this and his old-self's personality at the moment.

"**WEASLEY!"**

**Ron let go of the front of Malfoy's robes.**

"**He was provoked, Professor Snape," said Hagrid, sticking his huge hairy face out from behind the tree. "Malfoy was insultin' his family."**

"**Be that as it may, fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid," said Snape silkily. "Five points from Gryffindor, Weasley, and be grateful it isn't more. Move along, all of you."**

Snape said to the group " I am sorry for my book-self's actions and will try to not to be so harsh towards the children" The group nodded in thanks for this.

**Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle pushed roughly past the tree, scattering needles everywhere and smirking.**

"**I'll get him," said Ron, grinding his teeth at Malfoy's back, "one of these days, I'll get him —"**

Hermione said "It will do no good to be angry about it as you probably would not succeed in getting Malfoy back as it will make you just as bad as him by going down to his levels" The women in the room nodded at this while the males minus Snape thought differently.

"**I hate them both," said Harry, "Malfoy and Snape."**

Harry said to Snape quickly "sorry sir about that" Snape nodded in understanding of how Harry may have been feeling at the time.

"**Come on, cheer up, it's nearly Christmas," said Hagrid. "Tell yeh what, come with me an' see the Great Hall, looks a treat."**

**So the three of them followed Hagrid and his tree off to the Great Hall, where Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were busy with the Christmas decorations.**

"**Ah, Hagrid, the last tree — put it in the far corner, would you?"**

**The hall looked spectacular. Festoons of holly and mistletoe hung all around the walls, and no less than twelve towering Christmas trees stood around the room, some sparkling with tiny icicles, some glittering with hundreds of candles.**

The Children smiled at the picture of the great hall at Christmas time along with the magical adults who also had their time at a Hogwarts Christmas when they were younger especially the Flamels who looked at another in warmth.(A/N: Will be explained later so be patient).

"**Just one," said Hermione. "And that reminds me — Harry, Ron, we've got half an hour before lunch, we should be in the library."**

Nickolas raised his eyebrow at Hermione's actions as he would have thought that she could have at least taken a break from all the studying but did not say it out loud.

"**Oh yeah, you're right," said Ron, tearing his eyes away from Professor Flitwick, who had golden bubbles blossoming out of his wand and was trailing them over the branches of the new tree.**

Jean smiled at this and hoped to see this in person some time.

"**The library?" said Hagrid, following them out of the hall. "Just before the holidays? Bit keen, aren't yeh?".**

**"**Oh, we're not working," Harry told him brightly. "Ever since you mentioned Nicolas Flamel we've been trying to find out who he is."****

Nickolas stood up and said Jokely to Harry " Why Harry I thought you did know me Oh how I am wounded by your words" he finished dramatically to which most of the others chuckled about whereas Harry rolled his eyes at the joke towards him but did smile in good humor and played along " Oh but I do know who you are your old saint Nick" Harry finished mischievously with a joking twinkle in his eye that had everyone else laughing at along with Nickolas pouting about how he was beaten by His own joke but then got a funny idea and said "Oh come here you little prankster" and Nickolas grabbed Harry and began tickling him madly that sent Harry laughing and giggling like crazy under his new uncles tickling but the two stopped and sat back in their seat but still had wide smiles on their faces about their actions that everyone else smiled about how good the two were to each other.

"**You what?" Hagrid looked shocked. "Listen here — I've told yeh — drop it.**

**It's nothin' to you what that dog's guardin'."**

"**We just want to know who Nicolas Flamel is, that's all," said Hermione.**

Nickolas raised his eyebrows at Hermione to which she quickly replied " I know now who you are sir" to which he nodded at.

"**Unless you'd like to tell us and save us the trouble?" Harry added. "We must've been through hundreds of books already and we can't find him anywhere — just give us a hint — I know I've read his name somewhere."**

"**I'm sayin' nothin', said Hagrid flatly.**

Snape nodded at this as Hagrid should be more careful about who he talks.

"**Just have to find out for ourselves, then," said Ron, and they left Hagrid looking disgruntled and hurried off to the library.**

**They had indeed been searching books for Flamel's name ever since Hagrid had let it slip, because how else were they going to find out what Snape was trying to steal?**

Snape grimaced at how he was being blamed for this mystery.

**The trouble was, it was very hard to know where to begin, not knowing what Flamel might have done to get himself into a book.**

**He wasn't in Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century, or Notable Magical Names of Our Time; he was missing, too, from Important Modern Magical Discoveries, and A Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry.**

Nickolas said to the three children "Well I am a bit before those times so obviously you would not find me in those books" to which Hermione blushes at her lack of wisdom.

**Hermione took out a list of subjects and titles she had decided to search while Ron strode off down a row of books and started pulling them off the shelves at random.**

David shook his head at the boys stupidity and laziness.

**Harry wandered over to the Restricted Section. He had been wondering for a while if Flamel wasn't somewhere in there. Unfortunately, you needed a specially signed note from one of the teachers to look in any of the restricted books, and he knew he'd never get one. These were the books containing powerful Dark Magic never taught at Hogwarts, and only read by older students studying advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts.**

Nickolas spoke to Harry and said "you should not be reading them at your age and experience anyway for a reason as some of the magics in those books are dangerous and unsafe for some people who are not knowledgeable about such subjects contained in the books and could be disastrous in those people's hands and if you want to learn about them ask someone who knows about it so they can help you" Harry nodded at this and made a note of it.

"**What are you looking for, boy?"**

Harry grimaced at the word 'boy' as it was used a lot from his relatives when he lived their.

"**Nothing," said Harry.**

**Madam Pince the librarian brandished a feather duster at him.**

"**You'd better get out, then. Go on — out!"**

Perenell shook her head at this but did not comment out loud.

**Wishing he'd been a bit quicker at thinking up some story, Harry left the library. He, Ron, and Hermione had already agreed they'd better not ask Madam Pince where they could find Flamel. They were sure she'd be able to tell them, but they couldn't risk Snape hearing what they were up to.**

**Harry waited outside in the corridor to see if the other two had found anything, but he wasn't very hopeful. They had been looking for two weeks, after all, but as they only had odd moments between lessons it wasn't surprising they'd found nothing. What they really needed was a nice long search without Madam Pince breathing down their necks.**

**Five minutes later, Ron and Hermione joined him, shaking their heads. They went off to lunch.**

"**You will keep looking while I'm away, won't you?" said Hermione. "And send me an owl if you find anything."**

"**And you could ask your parents if they know who Flamel is,"**

David had a curious look on his face which made his family look at him so he explained " I used to hear stories from my dad about Nickolas Flamel as he taught Chemistry in a High School, that's a secondary school for preteen and teenagers of the ages of 11-17or 18 for the magical people in the room and Chemistry is like the Mundane version of potions and in my younger years I enjoyed the stories a lot so I would have told you about him if you asked.

Hermione asked "How come Grandpa never told me these stories when I was staying with him and grandma a few years ago when you and mum were at a dental conference" to which David sighed at but said to his daughter "Because he stopped being a teacher a few years before you were born as he had an accident during a class when he tried to do a few things that Nickolas Flamel had rumored to have done himself but ended up accidentally creating an explosion that had killed one of his students which he felt guilty about for years and he promised to never do anything like Flamel again and never tell another of his stories while he quit being a teacher".

Hermione was shocked at this information and hoped to help her grandfather who she cared for dearly as he was the one who made Hermione love learning things but never knew why until now but she kept quiet and thought about this some more but was cut off from her thoughts by Nickolas saying " I am sorry for this but what did your father try to do David" David was silent for a few moments and said " he tried to make Archean blaze powder" Nickolas was looking shocked at this and hurriedly explained to the confused people " What Archean Blaze Powder or ABP for short is a powder that can make any explosive or compound twice as strong and I had created this years before I had created the stone and is one of my few lesser known Achievements which I had only made it as a way of making better weapons and items like if it was mixed with a building item like cement it would make the item stronger and more stable when the structure was built or complete or make an explosive like gun powder more potent when used in a bomb or cannonball but if what I think is correct David's grandfather must have mixed the ingredients in the wrong order as it is very dangerous to make if you screw up the recipe for it" Everyone was gobsmacked minus Perenell at how an item could be used and how dangerous it would be and Snape asked " would I be able to see this as it may help in my Potion making as I am in need of something like this but could not get it anywhere" Nickolas nodded but told him they would speak later about this and so the group continued hearing about Harry's first year.

**"**Very safe, as they're both dentists," said Hermione.****

Hermione shook her head at how unwise she was being but kept silent while David explained to the magical people what a dentist was.

**Once the holidays had started, Ron and Harry were having too good a time to think much about Flamel.**

Harry looked a bit frightened at the look from Hermione but replied "Is it not okay to enjoy the Holidays at all" to which Hermione blushed at and mumbled a "no its fine" while berating herself at how she was acting.

**They had the dormitory to themselves and the common room was far emptier than usual, so they were able to get the good armchairs by the fire. They sat by the hour eating anything they could spear on a toasting fork — bread, English muffins, marshmallows —**

Harry's stomach grumbled at the mentioning of food to which Perenell picked up on and snapped her fingers and a small tunic wearing creature appeared that said "Madams Perenell needings Floppy for something" to which Perenell smiled and said " Yes could you bring us some snacks and tea for everyone Floppy" The little creature in the tunic nodded and disappeared to which Perenell explained to the shocked non Magical people who had seen the creature "That was Floppy my House elf who is a part of a species of elves that serve magical people and before you go on about slavery and such things they need to serve and care for us as it is a part of their life contract with their owners who in return of their ownership give them jobs and such to make them feel happy at helping their owners in some ways and they also live off our own magic and if the elf in question is no longer needed the owner must give them their clothes as it breaks the contract between both the elf and human but the elf must find a new owner soon as without he magic of their old owner they will die but their are some families that treat their elves horribly and make them punish themselves badly but that is only those who are the elite of Pureblood arrogance like the Malfoy family". The non magical people think on this especially Hermione who deflates at how she may have acted if she had not known the full details of House elves and made terrible mistakes in the future as it seems that she would have been excessive in trying to help the elves but really hindering them and further promises herself t be more open minded and not so obsessive over some things.

**and plotting ways of getting Malfoy expelled,**

Harry smiled at this along with Neville.

**which were fun to talk about even if they wouldn't work.**

**Ron also started teaching Harry wizard chess. This was exactly like Muggle chess except that the figures were alive, which made it a lot like directing troops in battle. Ron's set was very old and battered. Like everything else he owned,**

Harry was startled by Perenell's warning look and quickly apologized about his future comment.

**it had once belonged to someone else in his family — in this case, his grandfather. However, old chessmen weren't a drawback at all. Ron knew them so well he never had trouble getting them to do what he wanted.**

**Harry played with chessmen Seamus Finnigan had lent him, and they didn't trust him at all. He wasn't a very good player yet and they kept shouting different bits of advice at him, which was confusing.**

Nickolas said to Harry " just ignore the pieces voices as they are meant to throw you off track and they are charmed to make it more difficult for an inexperienced player or make the owner of the chess set more able to win he game" Harry nodded and made a note of it.

**"Don't send me there, can't you see his knight? Send him, we can afford to lose him."**

**On Christmas Eve, Harry went to bed looking forward to the next day for the food and the fun, but not expecting any presents at all.**

Perenell frowned at this and said to Harry " Of course you'll have presents and you will get some from us this year as-well" Harry nodded in thanks.

**When he woke early in the morning, however, the first thing he saw was a small pile of packages at the foot of his bed.**

"**Happy Christmas," said Ron sleepily as Harry scrambled out of bed and pulled on his bathrobe.**

"**You, too," said Harry. "Will you look at this? I've got some presents!"**

Nickolas shook his head at the way Harry was in the book.

"**What did you expect, turnips?" said Ron, turning to his own pile, which was a lot bigger than Harry's.**

**Harry picked up the top parcel. It was wrapped in thick brown paper and scrawled across it was To Harry, from Hagrid. Inside was a roughly cut wooden flute. Hagrid had obviously whittled it himself. Harry blew it — it sounded a bit like an owl.**

Harry smiled at Hagrid's gift and promised to get him one for Christmas.

**A second, very small parcel contained a note.**

**We received your message and enclose your Christmas present. From Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia.**

****Taped to the note was a fifty-pence piece.****

The adults growled in anger at the Dursley's so called gift while the two other children (Neville & Hermione) narrowed their eyes at Harry's treatment by the Dursleys.

"**That's friendly," said Harry.**

**Ron was fascinated by the fifty pence.**

"**Weird!" he said, 'What a shape! This is money?"**

"**You can keep it," said Harry, laughing at how pleased Ron was. "Hagrid and my aunt and uncle — so who sent these?"**

"**I think I know who that one's from," said Ron, turning a bit pink and pointing to a very lumpy parcel. "My mum. I told her you didn't expect any presents and — oh, no," he groaned, "she's made you a Weasley sweater."**

"A what" Harry said confused.

**Harry had torn open the parcel to find a thick, hand-knitted sweater in emerald green and a large box of homemade fudge.**

Perenell and Jean smiled at the kind gift.

"**Every year she makes us a sweater," said Ron, unwrapping his own, "and mine's always maroon."**

"What's wrong with that" Neville said confused as well as Harry was himself.

"**That's really nice of her," said Harry, trying the fudge, which was very tasty.**

****His next present also contained candy — a large box of Chocolate Frogs from Hermione.****

Harry smiled at Hermione and said " Thanks for the chocolate Hermione" to which she replied "Your welcome".

**This only left one parcel. Harry picked it up and felt it. It was very light. He unwrapped it.**

**Something fluid and silvery gray went slithering to the floor where it lay in gleaming folds.**

Nickolas's attention sharpened at this.

**Ron gasped.**

"**I've heard of those," he said in a hushed voice, dropping the box of Every Flavor Beans he'd gotten from Hermione.**

"**If that's what I think it is — they're really rare, and really valuable."**

"What is it?" Neville said impatiently.

"**What is it?"**

Both boys blinked at this but chuckled at how they repeated the same thing.

**Harry picked the shining, silvery cloth off the floor. It was strange to the touch, like water woven into material.**

"**It's an invisibility cloak,"**

The adults and Neville looked shocked at this but waited for more information.

**said Ron, a look of awe on his face. "I'm sure it is — try it on."**

**Harry threw the cloak around his shoulders and Ron gave a yell.**

"**It is! Look down!"**

**Harry looked down at his feet, but they were gone. He dashed to the mirror. Sure enough, his reflection looked back at him, just his head suspended in midair, his body completely invisible.**

**He pulled the cloak over his head and his reflection vanished completely.**

Nickolas was thinking on who would give Harry a cloak of this kind but could not find an answer so he waited for some more information on it from the book.

"**There's a note!" said Ron suddenly. "A note fell out of it!"**

**Harry pulled off the cloak and seized the letter. Written in narrow, loopy writing he had never seen before were the following words:**

_**Your father left this in my possession before he died.**_

_**It is time it was returned to you.**_

_**Use it well.**_

_**A Very Happy Christmas to you.**_

Nickolas was pensive and thinking on the who he knew had that style of writing and why he had it in the first place.

While he was thinking this Harry was shocked at him getting a gift that also belonged to his father and was excited at how he would be getting it at Christmas.

Everyone else was thinking as-well about the now known mystery gift and who could have given it to Harry.

**There was no signature.**

"I wonder who sent it," Neville said out loud voicing everyone else's thoughts.

David then said "I think that it could have been someone Harry's parents trusted or knew but they were waiting until Harry came back to the magical world and could send it to Harry from were they were" Everyone else nodded at the answer and continued to listen to the book.

**Harry stared at the note. Ron was admiring the cloak.**

"**I'd give anything for one of these," he said. "Anything. What's the matter?"**

"**Nothing," said Harry. He felt very strange. Who had sent the cloak? Had it really once belonged to his father?**

Harry smiled at this and he actually felt warm inside at finally getting something from his parents that belonged to them once before they passed away which he was a little sad about but then thought on how he will have a new family to spend his holidays instead of wistfully thinking on how he could have had Christmas's with his parents if they lived now with him.

**Before he could say or think anything else, the dormitory door was flung open and Fred and George Weasley bounded in.**

**Harry stuffed the cloak quickly out of sight. He didn't feel like sharing it with anyone else yet.**

"**Happy Christmas!"**

"**Hey, look — Harry's got a Weasley sweater, too!"**

**Fred and George were wearing blue sweaters, one with a large yellow F on it, the other a G.**

**"**Harry's is better than ours, though," said Fred, holding up Harry's sweater. "She obviously makes more of an effort if you're not family."****

Perenell frowned at this as it is a nice gesture but she had an uncomfortable feeling about this woman but did not say it.

"**Why aren't you wearing yours, Ron?" George demanded. "Come on, get it on, they're lovely and warm."**

"**I hate maroon," Ron moaned halfheartedly as he pulled it over his head.**

Harry frowned at this and said "If he doesn't like the color then why does he not send a letter or tell his mother that he likes a different color and not that one he has right now before Christmas or at home" Hermione answered for him " He probably thinks she will forget or not even bother to change the color" Harry nodded at this and returned to listening to the story.

"**You haven't got a letter on yours," George observed. "I suppose she thinks you don't forget your name. But we're not stupid — we know we're called Gred and Forge."**

Nickolas chuckled deeply at that and so did most of the people in the room at the red headed twins antics.

"**What's all this noise?"**

**Percy Weasley ****stuck his head through the door, looking disapproving. He had clearly gotten halfway through unwrapping his presents as he, too, carried a lumpy sweater over his arm, which Fred seized.**

"**P for prefect! Get it on, Percy, come on, we're all wearing ours, even Harry got one."**

"**I — don't — want —" said Percy thickly, as the twins forced the sweater over his head, knocking his glasses askew.**

Augusta frowned at this as she cannot fathom why the boy did not put on his gift from his mother.

"**And you're not sitting with the prefects today, either," said George. "Christmas is a time for family."**

Both Flamels pointedly looked at Harry at this reminding him of their announcement earlier to which Harry smiled at and hugged the two tighter.

**T****hey frog-marched Percy from the room, his arms pinned to his side by his sweater.**

Nickolas smirked at the Twins fooling around.

**Harry had never in all his life had such a Christmas dinner.**

Perenell looked at Harry with a grimace at how he was treated at the Dursley household to which Harry picked up on and then whispered to her and said

"I know why you are looking at me like that and I do not care about those people at all and I will not see them again if I am with you Auntie Nell" Perenell smiled warmly at Harry and have his shoulder a squeeze of thanks for his calming words.

**A hundred fat, roast turkeys; mountains of roast and boiled potatoes; platters of chipolatas; tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of thick, rich gravy and cranberry sauce**

Floppy returned with a pop at that moment with a couple of tray's filled with tea,cakes and sandwiches levitating above her that she set on the nearby coffee table and when done the little elf bowed and popped away and everyone took a filled tea cup and a few sandwiches or cakes for themselves and enjoyed the refreshments before continuing with the listening of the story.

– **and stacks of wizard crackers every few feet along the table.**

**These fantastic party favors were nothing like the feeble Muggle ones the Dursleys usually bought, with their little plastic toys and their flimsy paper hats inside. Harry pulled a wizard cracker with Fred and it didn't just bang, it went off with a blast like a cannon and engulfed them all in a cloud of blue smoke, while from the inside exploded a rear admiral's hat and several live, white mice. Up at the High Table, Dumbledore had swapped his pointed wizard's hat for a flowered bonnet,**

Nickolas shook his head mumbling "Albus" and listened some more.

**and was chuckling merrily at a joke Professor Flitwick had just read him.**

****Flaming Christmas puddings followed the turkey. Percy nearly broke his teeth on a silver sickle embedded in his slice.****

Jean winced in worry at how the boys teeth would be sore after that.

**Harry watched Hagrid getting redder and redder in the face as he called for more wine, finally kissing Professor McGonagall on the cheek,**

****who, to Harry's amazement, giggled and blushed, her top hat lopsided.****

Nickolas shook his head at the two adults who he knew from Albus had done this every Christmas since they were on staff together and Augusta was thinking on how drunk the two must be.

**When Harry finally left the table, he was laden down with a stack of things out of the crackers, including a pack of nonexplodable, luminous balloons, a Grow-Your-Own-Warts kit, and his own new wizard chess set. The white mice had disappeared and Harry had a nasty feeling they were going to end up as Mrs. Norris's Christmas dinner.**

**Harry and the Weasleys spent a happy afternoon having a furious snowball fight on the grounds.**

**Then, cold, wet, and gasping for breath, they returned to the fire in the Gryffindor common room, where Harry broke in his new chess set by losing spectacularly to Ron.**

Nickolas leaned in towards Harry and said " I will have to teach you how to play chess sometime if you want" Harry nodded in thanks and agreement.

**He suspected he wouldn't have lost so badly if Percy hadn't tried to help him so much.**

Neville grimaced at his friends troubles.

**After a meal of turkey sandwiches, crumpets, trifle, and Christmas cake, ****everyone felt too full and sleepy to do much before bed except sit and watch Percy chase Fred and George all over Gryffindor tower because they'd stolen his prefect badge.**

Everyone chuckled at this, imagining the picture of the twin Weasley's running about each saying "I've got your badge" over and over while confusing and frustrating the stuffy older sibling into chasing the two.

**It had been Harry's best Christmas day ever. Yet something had been nagging at the back of his mind all day. Not until he climbed into bed was he free to think about it: the invisibility cloak and whoever had sent it.**

Nickolas was still pondering this.

**Ron, full of turkey and cake and with nothing mysterious to bother him, fell asleep almost as soon as he'd drawn the curtains of his four-poster. Harry leaned over the side of his own bed and pulled the cloak out from under it.**

**His father's… this had been his father's.**

Harry looked sad at how he may have felt at that moment but cheered up at hearing the next few sentences.

**He let the material flow over his hands, smoother than silk, light as air.**

**Use it well, the note had said.**

**He had to try it, now. He slipped out of bed**

**and wrapped the cloak around himself. Looking down at his legs, he saw only moonlight and shadows. It was a very funny feeling.**

_**Use it well.**_

**Suddenly, Harry felt wide-awake. The whole of Hogwarts was open to him in this cloak. Excitement flooded through him as he stood there in the dark and silence. He could go anywhere in this, anywhere, and Filch would never know.**

Harry blinked at this and thought on how he could be spotted if it fell off or the cloak was dropped in accident.

**Ron grunted in his sleep. Should Harry wake him? Something held him back — his father's cloak — he felt that this time — the first time — he wanted to use it alone.**

Harry nodded at this and felt it was only right that he would be using it alone for his first exploration of Hogwarts at night while invisible.

**He crept out of the dormitory, down the stairs, across the common room, and climbed through the portrait hole.**

"**Who's there?" squawked the Fat Lady. Harry said nothing. He walked quickly down the corridor.**

**Where should he go? He stopped, his heart racing, and thought. And then it came to him. The Restricted Section in the library.**

Nickolas groaned at this and looked at Harry and said " I told you it is dangerous to go there and you should be able to know that it is restricted for a reason" Harry nodded at this and mentally thought to be more careful and not so stupid as to go somewhere he was not to go to unless he knew what to do if he went there.

**He'd be able to read as long as he liked, as long as it took to find out who Flamel was.**

Nickolas was about to speak again at this but was cut off by the children all saying "we know who you are sir so please stop that" Nickolas pouted at this and his wife snickered at his face but looked back innocently when her husband looked at her which set the others off laughing until they went back to listening to the book.

**He set off, drawing the invisibility cloak tight around him as he walked.**

**The library was pitch-black and very eerie. Harry lit a lamp to see his way along the rows of books. The lamp looked as if it was floating along in midair, and even though Harry could feel his arm supporting it, the sight gave him the creeps.**

Harry shivered at this knowing why as remembering seeing a film with the Dursleys when he was 9 years old a year ago and he had to watch it as Dudley said so to Vernon and Petunia as a way for Harry's cousin to scare him as in the film a floating hand was seen in it and had jumped in the air by itself and had strangled a victim till they died and it made him have nightmares for weeks afterwards until he got over it. Perenell hugged Harry tighter when she felt him shiver thinking he was cold but was rewarded by a smile from Harry anyway.

**The Restricted Section was right at the back of the library. Stepping carefully over the rope that separated these books from the rest of the library, he held up his lamp to read the titles.**

**They didn't tell him much. Their peeling faded gold letters spelled words in languages Harry couldn't understand. Some had no title at all.**

****One book had a dark stain on it that looked horribly like blood.****

Nickolas shook his head and knew that it may have been as it might be a dark book on evil spells from what he remembered from his studies of certain spells contained in the restricted section of the library.

**The hairs on the back of Harry's neck prickled. Maybe he was imagining it, maybe not, but he thought a faint whispering was coming from the books, as though they knew someone was there who shouldn't be.**

Nickolas looked nervous and suddenly remembered of the security spells in that section and hoped that Harry would be okay.

**He had to start somewhere. Setting the lamp down carefully on the floor, he looked along the bottom shelf for an interesting looking book. A large black and silver volume caught his eye.**

Nickolas looked alarmed as he remembered that book himself and hoped Harry would not read it or take it as it was filled with very dangerous spells.

**He pulled it out with difficulty, because it was very heavy, and, balancing it on his knee, let it fall open.**

**A piercing, bloodcurdling shriek split the silence — the book was screaming!**

"Merlin's beard. Just drop the book and run!" Nickolas shouted out nervously causing others to look at him which he explained " Harry will get caught by Filch if that man hears the noise and it may not be good for Harry if he is caught in the restricted section at night by Filch" everyone nodded and waited to find out what happened next.

**Harry snapped it shut, but the shriek went on and on, one high, unbroken, earsplitting note.**

**He stumbled backward and knocked over his lamp, which went out at once.**

Neville groaned at this and said " It would leave a trail for Harry if Filch finds it and starts looking for Harry" Harry looked sheepish and makes a note to himself about making sure not to do that again.

**Panicking, he heard footsteps coming down the corridor outside — stuffing the shrieking book back on the shelf, he ran for it. He passed Filch in the doorway; Filch's pale, wild eyes looked straight through him, and Harry slipped under Filch's outstretched arm and streaked off up the corridor, the book's shrieks still ringing in his ears.**

**He came to a sudden halt in front of a tall suit of armour. He had been so busy getting away from the library, he hadn't paid attention to where he was going. Perhaps because it was dark, he didn't recognize where he was at all. There was a suit of armour near the kitchens, he knew, but he must be five floors above there.**

Perenell said to Harry " you should calm down and think right when you can then you can get safely back to your dormitory.

"**You asked me to come directly to you, Professor, if anyone was wandering around at night, and somebody's been in the library Restricted Section."**

**Harry felt the blood drain out of his face. Wherever he was, Filch must know a shortcut, because his soft, greasy voice**

David shook his head at this as it did not sound like a nice voice that you did not want to hear at night in an alley at all.

**was getting nearer, and to his horror, it was Snape who replied,**"**The Restricted Section? Well, they can't be far, we'll catch them."**

Snape himself raised an eyebrow at this and said " I realize that you would be even more scared by my other self being there but you do know that I would not harm you at all" Harry nodded in appreciation.

**Harry stood rooted to the spot as Filch and Snape came around the corner ahead. They couldn't see him, of course, but it was a narrow corridor and if they came much nearer they'd knock right into him — the cloak didn't stop him from being solid.**

Harry nodded at this and was complimented by Nickolas saying " Good Harry you at least can know that if you are in trouble and you can also stop that by being next to a wall or flat surface that would fool most people as they would not walk into a wall on purpose" he finished with a smile.

**He backed away as quietly as he could. A door stood ajar to his left. It was his only hope. He squeezed through it, holding his breath, trying not to move it, and to his relief he managed to get inside the room without their noticing anything.**

****They walked straight past, and Harry leaned against the wall, breathing deeply, listening to their footsteps dying away.****

Harry sighed in relief at this.

**That had been close, very close. It was a few seconds before he noticed anything about the room he had hidden in.**

**It looked like an unused classroom. The dark shapes of desks and chairs were piled against the walls, and there was an upturned wastepaper basket – but propped against the wall facing him was something that didn't look as if it belonged there, something that looked as if someone had just put it there to keep it out of the way.**

**It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription carved around the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.**

Some people looked confused at this but Nickolas perked up and remembered the title at the beginning of the chapter and Hermione looked to have found something out so she said " Its backwards the letters like Leonardo Da Vinci did himself" from the confused looks of the magical people except The Flamels who perked up at the name which she would ask about later and continued "Leonardo Da Vinci was a genius who lived in the Italian Renaissance period and was an inventor, painter and a researcher who had created many wonderful things but some of them were never tested due to the prejudiced people who did not see how great they were at the time" The Magical people nodded at this but Nickolas said " Miss Granger I think that you are mistaken about a few things as Leonardo was also a Squib who came from a magical family but was forced to change his name and I knew this because I knew him when he was alive" Hermione looked shocked at this and asked "How did you know him Sir" Nickolas smiled and said " I knew him as I was alive back then and you will know why soon in this book so no asking but some of Leonardo's ideas did work and was presented and used but it was kept secret due to a small war back then that involved him and a colleague of sorts of his and I cannot say as I had sworn an oath not to say about it in detail " (A/N:Look up Assassin's creed 2 and its sequel Brotherhood for more information).

Hermione nodded reluctantly at this and with her and the rest of the group they continued to listen to Snape read from the Book.

**His panic fading now that there was no sound of Filch and Snape, Harry moved nearer to the mirror, wanting to look at himself but see no reflection again.**

**He stepped in front of it.**

**He had to clap his hands to his mouth to stop himself from screaming. He whirled around. His heart was pounding far more furiously than when the book had screamed — for he had seen not only himself in the mirror, but a whole crowd of people standing right behind him.**

Hermione looked sad at this as she remembered her translation of the sign on the mirror but kept quiet.

**But the room was empty. Breathing very fast, he turned slowly back to the mirror.**

**There he was, reflected in it, white and scared-looking, and there, reflected behind him, were at least ten others. Harry looked over his shoulder — but still, no one was there. Or were they all invisible, too? Was he in fact in a room full of invisible people and this mirror's trick was that it reflected them, invisible or not?**

**He looked in the mirror again. A woman standing right behind his reflection was smiling at him and waving.**

**He reached out a hand and felt the air behind him. If she was really there, he'd touch her, their reflections were so close together, but he felt only air – she and the others existed only in the mirror.**

**She was a very pretty woman. She had dark red hair and her eyes —her eyes are just like mine,**

Snape looked shaken as he read this and closed his eyes thinking _"Lily" _but was startled by a small gasp from Harry who looked shaken himself at this and made Snape look at the no Lily's Child in sympathy.

**Harry thought, edging a little closer to the glass. Bright green — exactly the same shape, but then he noticed that she was crying; smiling, but crying at the same time. The tall, thin, black-haired man standing next to her put his arm around her. He wore glasses, and his hair was very untidy. It stuck up at the back, just as Harry's did.**

Harry felt and ran his hand through his hair as he knew who the people in the mirror were.

**Harry was so close to the mirror now that his nose was nearly touching that of his reflection.**

"**Mum?" he whispered. "Dad?"**

**They just looked at him, smiling. And slowly, Harry looked into the faces of the other people in the mirror, and saw other pairs of green eyes like his, other noses like his, even a little old man who looked as though he had Harry's knobbly knees — Harry was looking at his family, for the first time in his life.**

Harry hugged Perenell and Nickolas tightly while keeping his eyes shut in the emotional pain going through him while the two were comforting the small boy with the woman rubbing his back and the man stroking his hair and neck meanwhile the others were in emotional states of their own with Neville hugging his Gran in pain of his own loss and Hermione hugging her parents tightly as-well thanking herself she had them with her. Snape himself was still thinking on his old red haired best friend and wishing she were here now with him but he opened his eyes and gave a loud cough to get everyone's attention which it did and said painfully "I think that we should continue this chapter then take a break from this for now once the chapter is done" everyone nodded silent for now as Snape continued reading.

**The Potters smiled and waved at Harry and he stared hungrily back at them,**

**his hands pressed flat against the glass as though he was hoping to fall right through it and reach them. He had a powerful kind of ache inside him, half joy, half terrible sadness.**

**How long he stood there, he didn't know. The reflections did not fade and he looked and looked until a distant noise brought him back to his senses. He couldn't stay here, he had to find his way back to bed. He tore his eyes away from his mother's face, whispered, "I'll come back," and hurried from the room.**

Nickolas spoke out slowly and said "you should not as it will only get worse for you" Harry looked confused but did not say anything as he just nodded.

"**You could have woken me up," said Ron, crossly.**

"**You can come tonight, I'm going back, I want to show you the mirror."**

"**I'd like to see your mom and dad," Ron said eagerly.**

"**And I want to see all your family, all the Weasleys, you'll be able to show me your other brothers and everyone."**

"**You can see them any old time," said Ron. "Just come round my house this summer. Anyway, maybe it only shows dead people. Shame about not finding Flamel, though. Have some bacon or something, why aren't you eating anything?"**

**Harry couldn't eat. He had seen his parents**

Harry grimaced and was getting what his new uncle was meaning.

**and would be seeing them again tonight.**

****He had almost forgotten about Flamel. It didn't seem very important anymore.****

Nickolas shook his head as Harry was about to open his mouth to apologize meaning to Harry "Its fine I know what you mean".

**Who cared what the three headed dog was guarding? What did it matter if Snape stole it, really?**

Snape grimaced at this and hoped that his false accusations will stop soon.

"**Are you all right?" said Ron. "You look odd."**

**What Harry feared most was that he might not be able to find the mirror room again. With Ron covered in the cloak, too, they had to walk much more slowly the next night. They tried retracing Harry's route from the library, wandering around the dark passageways for nearly an hour.**

"**I'm freezing," said Ron. "Let's forget it and go back."**

"**No!" Harry hissed. "I know it's here somewhere."**

**They passed the ghost of a tall witch gliding in the opposite direction, but saw no one else. just as Ron started moaning that his feet were dead with cold, Harry spotted the suit of armor.**

"**It's here — just here — yes!"**

Jean spoke out " You should have done this when it was warmer if you went there which you should not mind you" Harry looked embarrassed but did not speak out loud in agreement so he just nodded lightly.

**They pushed the door open. Harry dropped the cloak from around his shoulders and ran to the mirror.**

**There they were. His mother and father beamed at the sight of him.**

"**See?" Harry whispered.**

"**I can't see anything."**

"**Look! Look at them all… there are loads of them…"**

"**I can only see you."**

"**Look in it properly, go on, stand where I am."**

**Harry stepped aside, but with Ron in front of the mirror, he couldn't see his family anymore, just Ron in his paisley pajamas.**

**Ron, though, was staring transfixed at his image.**

"**Look at me!" he said.**

Nickolas had a thought on what the boys own vision would be.

"**Can you see all your family standing around you?"**

"**No — I'm alone — but I'm different — I look older — and I'm head boy!"**

"**What?"**

"**I am — I'm wearing the badge like Bill used to — and I'm holding the house cup and the Quidditch cup — I'm Quidditch captain, too."**

Nickolas grimaced at probably why the boy can see this but does not say out-loud to the others.

**Ron tore his eyes away from this splendid sight to look excitedly at Harry.**

"**Do you think this mirror shows the future?"**

Nickolas shook his head at this as it is not possible to do so.

"**How can it? All my family are dead — let me have another look —"**

"**You had it to yourself all last night, give me a bit more time."**

"**You're only holding the Quidditch cup, what's interesting about that? I want to see my parents."**

"**Don't push me —"**

Harry looked sheepish at how he was acting but did not speak out loud about it.

**A sudden noise outside in the corridor put an end to their discussion.**

**They hadn't realized how loudly they had been talking.**

"**Quick!"**

**Ron threw the cloak back over them as the luminous eyes of Mrs. Norris came round the door. Ron and Harry stood quite still, both thinking the same thing — did the cloak work on cats?**

Hermione was thinking _"No but they can smell and hear the people under it" _while grimacing.

**After what seemed an age, she turned and left.**

Hermione sighed in relief at the boys near capture by the cat.

"**This isn't safe — she might have gone for Filch, I bet she heard us. Come on."**

**And Ron pulled Harry out of the room.**

**The snow still hadn't melted the next morning.**

"**Want to play chess, Harry?" said Ron.**

"**No."**

"**Why don't we go down and visit Hagrid?"**

"**No… you go…"**

David said out-loud "That mirror is a menace and danger to Harry" Nickolas nodded in agreement and thought _"I will have to talk to Albus about that mirror and see it destroyed"_.

"**Why not?"**

"**I dunno, I've just got a bad feeling about it — and anyway, you've had too many close shaves already. Filch, Snape, and Mrs. Norris are wandering around. So what if they can't see you? What if they walk into you? What if you knock something over?"**

"**You sound like Hermione."**

Said girl raised her eyebrows at Harry who blushed and apologized which she nodded at.

"**I'm serious, Harry, don't go."**

Snape shook his head at the familiar word 'serious' and continued.

**But Harry only had one thought in his head, which was to get back in front of the mirror, and Ron wasn't going to stop him.**

**That third night he found his way more quickly than before. He was walking so fast he knew he was making more noise than was wise, but he didn't meet anyone.**

**And there were his mother and father smiling at him again, and one of his grandfathers nodding happily. Harry sank down to sit on the floor in front of the mirror. There was nothing to stop him from staying here all night with his family. Nothing at all.**

**Except —**

Harry wondered what it was.

"**So — back again, Harry?"**

Harry looked shocked at him being caught but was cut off from this by Neville saying "Well with how Harry's luck is so far it was a matter of time until he was caught" Harry pouted at this and huffed at the others who started to chuckle at how Harry was acting.

**Harry felt as though his insides had turned to ice. He looked behind him. Sitting on one of the desks by the wall was none other than Albus Dumbledore.**

Nickolas was surprised at this but kept quiet.

**Harry must have walked straight past him, so desperate to get to the mirror he hadn't noticed him.**

Harry grimaced at how the mirror made him act.

"**I — I didn't see you, sir."**

"**Strange how nearsighted being invisible can make you," said Dumbledore, and Harry was relieved to see that he was smiling.**

"**So," said Dumbledore, slipping off the desk to sit on the floor with Harry, "you, like hundreds before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised."**

Snape raised his eyebrow at that as it did not sound like a delight to be nearly compulsed to look at things you will never have but did not speak out loud about it.

"**I didn't know it was called that, Sir."**

"**But I expect you've realized by now what it does?"**

"**It — well — it shows me my family —"**

"**And it showed your friend Ron himself as head boy."**

"**How did you know —?"**

_"Yes how unless he..." _Nickolas thought in confusion but stopped and found his answer at the next sentence.

"**I don't need a cloak to become invisible," said Dumbledore gently. "Now, can you think what the Mirror of Erised shows us all?"**

Nickolas and Snape both looked at each other and silently communicated to speak to one another about this later about Albus Dumbledore's actions at the moment.

**Harry shook his head.**

"**Let me explain. The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is. Does that help?"**

**Harry thought. Then he said slowly, "It shows us what we want… whatever we want…"**

"**Yes and no,"**

David looked annoyed at this and kept thinking of what he could mean.

**said Dumbledore quietly. "It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts. You, who have never known your family, see them standing around you. Ronald Weasley, who has always been overshadowed by his brothers, sees himself standing alone, the best of all of them.**

Augusta thinks to herself _"I will have to speak to Molly next time I see her about how she has been treating his own son and how to deal with the child's insecurities"_ (A/N: Yeah right she can talk and if you want to hear a rant about Augusta then read my last updated story - Mystic Life Year 2 chapter 13 for some bashing of the woman).

**However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible.**

Harry looked down at this but a moment later he steels himself and continues to listen.

"**The Mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow, Harry, and I ask you not to go looking for it again. If you ever do run across it, you will now be prepared. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live,**

"Smart words," Jean said in agreement.

**remember that. Now, why don't you put that admirable cloak back on and get off to bed?"**

**Harry stood up.**

"**Sir — Professor Dumbledore? Can I ask you something?"**

"**Obviously, you've just done so," Dumbledore smiled. "You may ask me one more thing, however."**

"**What do you see when you look in the mirror?"**

Nickolas looked sad at this as he knows what would be seen but does not want to say it at all out of respect for Albus.

"**I? I see myself holding a pair of thick, woolen socks."**

Nickolas snorted at this as it does seem like something Albus would say in good humor.

**Harry stared.**

"**One can never have enough socks," said Dumbledore. "Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn't get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books."**

Perenell looks at Nickolas and both silently decide on what to send the man for Christmas for the fun of it.

**It was only when he was back in bed that it struck Harry that Dumbledore might not have been quite truthful.**

**But then, he thought, as he shoved Scabbers off his pillow, it had been quite a personal question.**

Harry nodded at this and was startled by Snape saying "That's the end of this chapter" Everyone nodded and went to take a break for a while where some others went to talk about certain things that needed discussed.

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><p>Read and Review and for those who want to talk about this chapter send me a PM or Review also I had to put in a few things to make it a bit more interesting other than just characters reading the books and talking about it anyway I will update again soon in a couple of days but it may be my other story as I might switch between the 2 of them every chapter each.<p>

PLEASE SEND MORE REVIEWS FOR MY STORIES AS I LIKE READING THEM FROM YOU FANS BUT DO NOT SEND FLAMES AS I WILL NOT BE HAPPY WITH YOU (Cross look and frown on face while wagging finger in air). Also WizardsGirl please hurry up and do another chapter if you are reading this as I want to see my character soon in your fic WASI - When A Stranger Interferes for the confused and I do not mean to be pushy but I am a bit impatient at times.


	15. Chapter 15

The Flamel's and The Stone Chapter 15.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything or anyone. This chapter will have a short discussion about Dumbles actions and the next chapter in the PS book.

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><p>Snape was in a separate office belonging to Nickolas with him inside also while the others were having a break over some discoveries that were made over the previous reading of the book. He was shook out of his thoughts by Nickolas beginning to speak " It is strange the way that Albus seems to be handling Harry in from what we have both heard in the book".<p>

Snape nodded as he thought of how it seemed as if Albus was somehow stalking Harry and testing which he voiced to Nickolas who replied and said " It does seem that way and it was really ridiculous how my old colleague had just left Harry on those people's doorstep with just a letter and no actual explanation as this could have improved Harry's life with those relatives of his in some way".

Snape agreed with this as he remembered how Minerva had spoke to him some time later about Harry's placement with the Dursleys and had thought that Harry would be spoiled rotten by them but that is not the case now as he now knew what Harry's life was like at least as much as he could see from how Harry looked in health and the child's description of his treatment.

Snape spoke out and said "Any way we will have to deal with all this later as the others will be about ready to start the next chapter but I will say that Quirrell is acting odd and the times he is mentioned in the book does seem mysterious" Nickolas nodded at this but they both will have to find out what it means later in the book as they both walk out of the office and back into the sitting room to find the others in a much better mood and so they all settle down in their previous seats and Jean picks up the book and reads.

**"Nicholas Flamel"** Jean read out loud.

Harry sighed in relief at finally being able to get some answers in this chapter but listened to the story.

**Dumbledore had convinced Harry not to go looking for the Mirror of Erised again,**

"Thank goodness," sighed Perenell at the good luck of Harry not being so distracted by the mirror anymore.

**and for the rest of the Christmas holidays the invisibility cloak stayed folded at the bottom of his trunk.**

Harry thought on this _"at least it will keep it safe from harm"._

**Harry wished he could forget what he'd seen in the mirror as easily, but he couldn't. He started having nightmares. ******Over and over again he dreamed about his parents disappearing in a flash of green light, while a high voice cackled with laughter.****

Perenell hugged Harry tighter and Nicholas squeezed Harry's shoulder in comfort which he appreciated.

"**You see, Dumbledore was right, that mirror could drive you mad,"**

David nodded stiffly in agreement but it looked as if he still did not like the red haired moron of a child and was uncomfortable agreeing with the boy.

**said Ron, when Harry told him about these dreams.**

**Hermione, who came back the day before term started, took a different view of things. She was torn between horror at the idea of Harry being out of bed, roaming the school three nights in a row**

Harry shook his head at Hermione's reactions as said girl blushed at her careless thoughts while berating herself for it.

**("If Filch had caught you!"), and disappointment that he hadn't at least found out who Nicolas Flamel was.**

Nicholas raised his eyebrows but did not comment as it would lead to him being teased about it like last time.

**They had almost given up hope of ever finding Flamel in a library book, even though Harry was still sure he'd read the name somewhere. Once term had started, they were back to skimming through books for ten minutes during their breaks. Harry had even less time than the other two, because Quidditch practice had started again.**

Harry and Nicholas smiled at this.

**Wood was working the team harder than ever. Even the endless rain that had replaced the snow couldn't dampen his spirits. The Weasleys complained that Wood was becoming a fanatic,**

Augusta shook her head at the captains actions and should control himself.

**but Harry was on Wood's side.**

Neville groaned at this and said " You do know that this will backfire on you with your luck" Harry pouted at this as Neville smirked back in amusement at his teasing.

**If they won their next match, against Hufflepuff, they would overtake Slytherin in the house championship for the first time in seven years.**

Snape felt a little proud at his house's achievement so far.

**Quite apart from wanting to win, Harry found that he had fewer nightmares when he was tired out after training.**

David shook his head and said " That is not healthy as it will only prolong them when they start up again, you should see about therapy for this as it could lead to insomnia in later life if the nightmares get worse and it may help you deal with some issues you may have at the moment that you are unaware of" Harry nodded at this and thought on it while both Flamel's nodded in thanks and also thought that therapy would help Harry if he needed it but would talk to David later about how to go about it as there was not much therapists in the Magical world to their knowledge and may need to go to a mundane therapist.

**Then, during one particularly wet and muddy practice session, Wood gave the team a bit of bad news.**

Harry wondered what it was so he listened.

**He'd just gotten very angry with the Weasleys, who kept dive-bombing each other and pretending to fall off their brooms.**

Hermione shook her head and said " They will probably break their necks doing that if they slip off " the other women in the room nodded at this while the males remained quiet.

"**Will you stop messing around!" he yelled. "That's exactly the sort of thing that'll lose us the match!**

Snape wondered why.

**Snape's refereeing this time,**

Said man looked shocked and was thinking on the reasons why as he could only think of a couple of reasons.

**and he'll be looking for any excuse to knock points off Gryffindor!"**

Snape shook his head as he may have done that before but not now with his new attitude.

**George Weasley really did fall off his broom at these words.**

"**Snape's refereeing?" he spluttered through a mouthful of mud.**

"Must have fallen in a muddy patch in the ground" David said as he remembered his days playing football and the times he tripped in mud while playing.

**"When's he ever refereed a Quidditch match? He's not going to be fair if we might overtake Slytherin."**

**The rest of the team landed next to George to complain, too.**

"**It's not my fault," said Wood. "We've just got to make sure we play a clean game, so Snape hasn't got an excuse to pick on us."**

Snape shook his head at this but did not speak.

**Which was all very well, thought Harry, but he had another reason for not wanting Snape near him while he was playing Quidditch…**

Harry blushed at Snape's look as he now knew that it was not Snape jinxing the broom at all.

**The rest of the team hung back to talk to one another as usual at the end of practice, but Harry headed straight back to the Gryffindor common room, where he found Ron and Hermione playing chess.**

**Chess was the only thing Hermione ever lost at, something Harry and Ron thought was very good for her.**

David spoke out loud at the looks of frustration on his daughters face " Hermione it is good for you as you always seem to want to win and learning to accept losing at something is a part of life and think about it, if you won at everything would that make anyone else happy" Hermione grudgingly nodded at this as it did seem fair to others if she learned to accept losing once in a while.

"**Don't talk to me for a moment," said Ron when Harry sat down next to him, "I need to concen—" He caught sight of Harry's face.**

"**What's the matter with you? You look terrible."**

Harry wondered why.

**Speaking quietly so that no one else would hear, Harry told the other two about Snape's sudden, sinister desire to be a Quidditch referee.**

Snape raised his eyebrows and spoke to Harry " I hardly think it as a desire to be Referee as I am probably filling in for madam Hooch who may be not well or for security reasons for your last match" Harry nodded blushing and thought of how stupid he was being about all this.

"**Don't play," said Hermione at once.**

Neville looked at Hermione as if she lost her mind but could slightly agree with her idea but it would be bad for Harry being denied his second ever quidditch game.

"**Say you're ill," said Ron.**

"**Pretend to break your leg," Hermione suggested.**

"**Really break your leg," said Ron.**

"Nice. Very nice," David said sarcastically at how magic could probably heal faster than normal from his discussions with Perenell and Augusta during their break.

"**I can't," said Harry. "There isn't a reserve Seeker. If I back out, Gryffindor can't play at all."**

Harry thought on this _" I should make a suggestion to Wood or Professor Mcgonagall about that if an accident happens when I become seeker if I do become one this year "._

**At that moment Neville toppled into the common room. How he had managed to climb through the portrait hole was anyone's guess, because his legs had been stuck together with what they recognized at once as the Leg-Locker Curse.**

Neville looked nervous at his Gran's looks as if she would go off at any moments notice.

**He must have had to bunny hop all the way up to Gryffindor tower.**

**Everyone fell over laughing**

Neville looked down at that bit looked up again when he heard "Sorry Neville" from both Hermione and Harry which cheered up at this.

**except Hermione, who leapt up and performed the counter curse.**

**Neville's legs sprang apart and he got to his feet, trembling. "What happened?" Hermione asked him, leading him over to sit with Harry and Ron.**

"**Malfoy," said Neville shakily.**

Growls went around the room at the name and Snape shook his head at his Godson's stupid actions as he knew that it was not very smart to curse the relative of a powerful family member like Augusta Longbottom who was on the board of governors and Wizamgott who could charge Draco for his actions.

"**I met him outside the library. He said he'd been looking for someone to practice that on."**

"**Go to Professor McGonagall!"**

Harry looked at Hermione as he can see her saying something like that to which she blushed about when she noticed Harry's gaze directed towards her.

**Hermione urged Neville. "Report him!"**

**Neville shook his head.**

"**I don't want more trouble," he mumbled.**

Augusta looked more irritated at this but tried to not blow her top about this.

"**You've got to stand up to him, Neville!"**

Harry nodded in agreement with this.

**said Ron. "He's used to walking all over people, but that's no reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier."**

Harry smiled a bit at Ron's advice as it did sound useful to Neville.

"**There's no need to tell me I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor, Malfoy's already done that," Neville choked out.**

**Harry felt in the pocket of his robes and pulled out a Chocolate Frog, the very last one from the box Hermione had given him for Christmas. He gave it to Neville, who looked as though he might cry.**

Neville blushed at this as he also did not like his grandmothers looks but kept quiet while being a bit annoyed at how his Grandmother was acting.

"**You're worth twelve of Malfoy," Harry said. "The Sorting Hat chose you for Gryffindor, didn't it? And where's Malfoy? In stinking Slytherin."**

Snape glared at Harry for that remark as Harry quickly said "I do not mean that honest I was just trying to cheer up Neville" Perenell nodded with a smile at Harry's caring of others nut then she frowned and spoke to Harry saying "Still you should not just think that all people in Slytherin are bad people, as they may have just went into that house for different reasons like pressure from family members, their talents and personality or they had no other choice and even you should think of what would have happened if you went into Slytherin instead of Gryffindor and how different your life could be like with new friends from their" Harry nodded in a stunned way as he had acted like a racist in this book at some times towards others who did not come from his possible house without knowing it and now he promised to change his attitude towards the other students in Slytherin who he did not know and anyone else in other houses.

**Neville's lips twitched in a weak smile as he unwrapped the frog.**

"**Thanks, Harry… I think I'll go to bed… D'you want the card, you collect them, don't you?"**

**As Neville walked away, Harry looked at the Famous Wizard card.**

"**Dumbledore again," he said, "He was the first one I ever —"**

**He gasped. He stared at the back of the card. Then he looked up at Ron and Hermione.**

"**I've found him!" he whispered. "I've found Flamel!**

Nicholas grinned at this.

**I told you I'd read the name somewhere before, I read it on the train coming here — listen to this: 'Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel'!"**

Nicholas looked thoughtful on his former work partner and wondered how he was.

**Hermione jumped to her feet. She hadn't looked so excited since they'd gotten back the marks for their very first piece of homework.**

Harry and Neville snickered at this but Hermione looked to be blushing at this while she was glaring at the two boys.

"**Stay there!" she said, and she sprinted up the stairs to the girls' dormitories. Harry and Ron barely had time to exchange mystified looks before she was dashing back, an enormous old book in her arms.**

"**I never thought to look in here!" she whispered excitedly. "I got this out of the library weeks ago for a bit of light reading."**

Harry and Snape looked at Hermione in bemusement at her version of light reading while David shook his head at how much of a Book-nut his daughter is which made Hermione blush even more at her ignorance of others perception of 'light reading'.

"**Light?" said Ron, but Hermione told him to be quiet until she'd looked something up, and started flicking frantically through the pages, muttering to herself.**

**At last she found what she was looking for.**

"**I knew it! I knew it!"**

"**Are we allowed to speak yet?" said Ron grumpily. Hermione ignored him.**

David shook his head at the red headed twits impatience and hoped that the children do not meet this boy at all.

"**Nicolas Flamel," she whispered dramatically,**

Nicholas had a twinkle in his eye at this not unlike a certain Headmaster.

**"is the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone!"**

Harry smiled in success at their finding.

**This didn't have quite the effect she'd expected.**

"**The what?" said Harry and Ron.**

Harry was blushing at this as everyone else was chuckling at Book-Harry's confusion.

"**Oh, honestly, don't you two read?**

Harry looked affronted at that which Hermione saw and said remorsefully "Sorry Harry about that" Harry nodded still a bit miffed at the jibe bit calmed down after a few minutes.

**Look – read that, there."**

**She pushed the book toward them, and Harry and Ron read:**

**The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal.**

Harry and Neville looked shocked at this while Hermione was excited at the prospect of a study project.

**There have been many reports of the Philosopher's Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera lover.**

Harry looked at Nicholas in confusion which he replied to " I enjoy a good play to watch and it is a shame that their are not many opera's in the magical world but the ones in the mundane world that I like especially Mozart and other famous composers" Harry nodded still a little confused over who Nicholas meant but resolved to ask him later.

**Mr. Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight).**

Harry looked shocked at his soon to be Uncle and Aunt's age as they only looked to be about fifty or Sixty years old which Nicholas spoke silently out loud " Magical beings have a longer life-span than normal humans depending on their magical strength or health but the stone I made can slow down the aging process a lot as we only have to take the elixir twice or once a year and it can prolong our life for as long as we want and its other feature is just a side affect of making the elixir but to make an actual stone is very difficult and dangerous". the non Magical people in the room nodded in satisfaction of their now answered question.

"**See?" said Hermione, when Harry and Ron had finished. "The dog must be guarding Flamel's Philosopher's Stone! I bet he asked Dumbledore to keep it safe for him, because they're friends and he knew someone was after it, that's why he wanted the Stone moved out of Gringotts!"**

Nicholas whispered to Harry who looked tense which Nicholas picked up on and said "I only made a couple of the stones in-case of an accident so the one in the vault is a probable fake or one of the dud stones that had been failed attempts at making one as I did say it was difficult to make, but I did not tell Albus Dumbledore as he would have wanted one which he did ask me before one time, so do not worry if anything happens later to the stone later in the story" Harry nodded in relief at this as it was less stressful to not worry about his new family dying anytime soon.

"**A stone that makes gold and stops you from ever dying!" said Harry. "No wonder Snape's after it! Anyone would want it."**

Snape raised his eyebrows at the remark bit did not speak.

"**And no wonder we couldn't find Flamel in that Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry," said Ron. "He's not exactly recent if he's six hundred and sixty-five, is he?"**

David snorted in amusement at the boys stupidity.

**The next morning in Defense Against the Dark Arts, while copying down different ways of treating werewolf bites, Harry and Ron were still discussing what they'd do with a Philosopher's Stone if they had one. It wasn't until Ron said he'd buy his own Quidditch team**

Nicholas and David shared a look of alarm at the red haired boys greed and low moral's. While Perenell was scolding Harry on his lack of attention to his classes to which Harry nodded in shame of his laziness and promised Perenell to do better which she nodded and hugged Harry for.

**that Harry remembered about Snape and the coming match.**

"**I'm going to play," he told Ron and Hermione. "If I don't, all the Slytherins will think I'm just too scared to face Snape. I'll show them… it'll really wipe the smiles off their faces if we win."**

Harry looked a little excited at maybe winning the game.

"**Just as long as we're not wiping you off the field," said Hermione.**

David groaned and said "Sweetheart you do not want to jinx the game for Harry if you say that to him as Neville said Harry already has enough bad luck already, no offense to you Harry" Harry nodded at this as he can see the point that Hermione's dad is making to his daughter who is embarrassed at her lack of foresight on Harry's track-rate.

**As the match drew nearer, however, Harry became more and more nervous, whatever he told Ron and Hermione. The rest of the team wasn't too calm, either. The idea of overtaking Slytherin in the house championship was wonderful, no one had done it for seven years, but would they be allowed to, with such a biased referee?**

Harry looked sheepish at this but Snape waved it off in agreement at how his Book-self would be acting at the moment.

**Harry didn't know whether he was imagining it or not, but he seemed to keep running into Snape wherever he went. At times, he even wondered whether Snape was following him, ****trying to catch him on his own.**

Snape spoke to Harry and said " I am probably watching out for the fact that the Snape in the book hated your father for being a prankster and a troublemaker and among other reasons so I would take that hatred and channel it to you for thinking that you would be the exact same person as your father James Potter.

**Potions lessons were turning into a sort of weekly torture,**

Snape grimaced at this as he does not like the sound of that.

**Snape was so horrible to Harry.**

Snape looked to be remorseful at his other self's actions and hoped to be a better person after this book.

**Could Snape possibly know they'd found out about the Philosopher's Stone?**

Snape shook his head at this as Harry looked to be apologizing but shut his mouth at Snape's look he was being given.

**Harry didn't see how he could — yet he sometimes had the horrible feeling that Snape could read minds.**

Snape raised his eyebrows at this as it seemed to him that Harry had some premature mind shields which would enable Harry to detect a mental attack, Snape thinks that he may need to tutor Harry in Occumelency soon to help Harry protect his mind.

**Harry knew, when they wished him good luck outside the locker rooms the next afternoon, that Ron and Hermione were wondering whether they'd ever see him alive again.**

Hermione groaned and said "Stop being so pessimistic Harry it will be fine" Harry nodded blushing but annoyed at his attitude in the book as he can see how his mood will affect his performance and life and promises to be a little more optimistic and less pessimistic.

**This wasn't what you'd call comforting. Harry hardly heard a word of Wood's pep talk as he pulled on his Quidditch robes and picked up his Nimbus Two Thousand.**

Harry smiled at his future broom being used for his second game.

**Ron and Hermione, meanwhile, had found a place in the stands next to Neville, who couldn't understand why they looked so grim and worried, or why they had both brought their wands to the match.**

**Little did Harry know that Ron and Hermione had been secretly practicing the Leg-Locker Curse.**

Harry smiled at his friends protectiveness.

**They'd gotten the idea from Malfoy using it on Neville, and were ready to use it on Snape if he showed any sign of wanting to hurt Harry.**

Snape grimaced at this while Hermione looked apologetic.

"**Now, don't forget, it's Locomotor Mortis," Hermione muttered as Ron slipped his wand up his sleeve.**

"**I know," Ron snapped. "Don't nag."**

Hermione frowned at this while David looked cross at the red headed buffoons insult.

**Back in the locker room, Wood had taken Harry aside.**

"**Don't want to pressure you, Potter, but if we ever need an early capture of the Snitch it's now. Finish the game before Snape can favor Hufflepuff too much."**

"**The whole school's out there!" said Fred Weasley, peering out of the door. "Even — blimey — Dumbledore's come to watch!"**

Harry looked confused at this but did not speak out loud.

**Harry's heart did a somersault.**

"**Dumbledore?" he said, dashing to the door to make sure. Fred was right. There was no mistaking that silver beard.**

**Harry could have laughed out loud with relief, he was safe. There was simply no way that Snape would dare to try to hurt him if Dumbledore was watching.**

Snape looked offended at this but did not comment.

**Perhaps that was why Snape was looking so angry as the teams marched onto the field, something that Ron noticed, too.** "**I've never seen Snape look so mean," he told Hermione. "Look — they're off. Ouch!"**

Jean looked confused for a moment before she spoke "it seems as if there is a change of view for the characters in the book" everyone listened in to the next sentence.

**Someone had poked Ron in the back of the head. It was Malfoy.**

Snape shook his head in exasperation at Draco's actions.

"**Oh, sorry, Weasley, didn't see you there."**

_"yeah right"_ Neville thought to himself.

**Malfoy grinned broadly at Crabbe and Goyle.**

"**Wonder how long Potter's going to stay on his broom this time? Anyone want a bet? What about you, Weasley?"**

Snape looked even more exasperated at Draco's stupidity.

**Ron didn't answer; Snape had just awarded Hufflepuff a penalty because George Weasley had hit a Bludger at him.**

David frowned at this as it did seem unfair to attack your referee plus really stupid to do so.

**Hermione, who had all her fingers crossed in her lap, was squinting fixedly at Harry, who was circling the game like a hawk, looking for the Snitch.**

"**You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team?" said Malfoy**

Harry looked to be really annoyed with Malfoy's personality.

**loudly a few minutes later, as Snape awarded Hufflepuff another penalty for no reason at all.**

Snape shook his head at his book-self's biased attitude.

**"It's people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents, then there's the Weasleys, who've got no money — you should be on the team, Longbottom, you've got no brains."**

Neville looked really steamed at this and was about to speak but was cut off by his grandmother yelling "THAT SPOILED BRAT, HOW DARE HE SPEAK TO MY GRANDSON LIKE THAT" Augusta looked to be really angry at this but was calming down while Neville gave a grateful look towards her which she returned with a stiff nod and a grim smile as she was still angry with Malfoy's comments.

**Neville went bright red but turned in his seat to face Malfoy.**

"**I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy," he stammered.**

Harry looked proud at Neville's growing courage.

**Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle howled with laughter, but Ron, still not daring to take his eyes from the game, said, "You tell him, Neville."**

"**Longbottom, if brains were gold you'd be poorer than Weasley, and that's saying something."**

Both Longbottom's growled at the insult but kept quiet.

**Ron's nerves were already stretched to the breaking point with anxiety about Harry.**

"**I'm warning you, Malfoy — one more word—"**

"**Ron!" said Hermione suddenly, "Harry —"**

Harry looked worried at this as it could be a bad situation for him.

"**What? Where?"**

**Harry had suddenly gone into a spectacular dive,**

Nicholas looked proud at Harry's skills on a broom.

**which drew gasps and cheers from the crowd. Hermione stood up, her crossed fingers in her mouth,**

Hermione blushed at this but kept quiet.

**as Harry streaked toward the ground like a bullet.**

The women in the room looked worried at this especially Perenell but they all waited to find out why this was happening.

"**You're in luck, Weasley, Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground!" said Malfoy.**

Snape frowned at this as it did seem a bit excessive the way that Malfoy was acting towards Harry or his friends.

**Ron snapped. Before Malfoy knew what was happening, Ron was on top of him, wrestling him to the ground.**

"Get him, Ron!" Neville spoke out loud.

**Neville hesitated, then clambered over the back of his seat to help.**

Harry smiled at Neville's unselfishness in helping others.

"**Come on, Harry!" Hermione screamed, leaping onto her seat to watch as Harry sped straight at Snape — she didn't even notice Malfoy and Ron rolling around under her seat, or the scuffles and yelps coming from the whirl of fists that was Neville, Crabbe, and Goyle.**

Augusta looked worried at this but kept silent.

**Up in the air, Snape turned on his broomstick just in time to see something scarlet shoot past him,**

Snape looked to Harry in a curious manner but did not comment.

**missing him by inches — the next second, Harry had pulled out of the dive, his arm raised in triumph, the Snitch clasped in his hand.**

The people who liked quidditch cheered at Harry's victory.

**The stands erupted; it had to be a record, no one could ever remember the Snitch being caught so quickly.**

Nicholas beamed at Harry for his achievement which Harry was smiling about.

"**Ron! Ron! Where are you? The game's over! Harry's won! We've won! Gryffindor is in the lead!" shrieked Hermione, dancing up and down on her seat and hugging Parvati Patil in the row in front.**

**Harry jumped off his broom, a foot from the ground. He couldn't believe it. He'd done it — the game was over; it had barely lasted five minutes.**

Nicholas looked even more amazed and said "That would have to be the fastest catch I have ever seen in all my life playing quidditch" Harry smiled even wider.

**As Gryffindors came spilling onto the field, he saw Snape land nearby, white-faced and tight-lipped — then Harry felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up into Dumbledore's smiling face.**

"**Well done," said Dumbledore quietly, so that only Harry could hear. "Nice to see you haven't been brooding about that mirror… been keeping busy… excellent…"**

Snape and Nicholas shared a look with each other about Albus's actions.

**Snape spat bitterly on the ground.**

The real Snape shook his head at how his book-self's attitude.

**Harry left the locker room alone some time later, to take his Nimbus Two Thousand back to the broomshed. He couldn't ever remember feeling happier. He'd really done something to be proud of now – no one could say he was just a famous name any more.**

The Flamels hugged Harry for his thoughts were on why he was famous for his parents death and how it was a good thing but smiled at his new aunt and uncle when they hugged him by the shoulders.

**The evening air had never smelled so sweet. He walked over the damp grass, reliving the last hour in his head, which was a happy blur: Gryffindors running to lift him onto their shoulders; Ron and Hermione in the distance, jumping up and down, Ron cheering through a heavy nosebleed.**

David smiled at Ron's injury and hoped it taught the idiot a lesson.

**Harry had reached the shed. He leaned against the wooden door and looked up at Hogwarts, with its windows glowing red in the setting sun. Gryffindor in the lead. He'd done it, he'd shown Snape…**

Snape snorted at that but otherwise kept silent.

**And speaking of Snape…**

**A hooded figure came swiftly down the front steps of the castle. Clearly not wanting to be seen,**

Snape looked to be curious at what his book-self was doing.

**it walked as fast as possible toward the forbidden forest. Harry's victory faded from his mind as he watched. He recognized the figure's prowling walk. Snape, sneaking into the forest while everyone else was at dinner — what was going on?**

Everyone else now looked even more curious at this.

**Harry jumped back on his Nimbus Two Thousand and took off. Gliding silently over the castle he saw Snape enter the forest at a run. He followed.**

Snape groaned at this as it will only make himself look even more bad now.

**The trees were so thick he couldn't see where Snape had gone. He flew in circles, lower and lower, brushing the top branches of trees until he heard voices. He glided toward them and landed noiselessly in a towering beech tree.**

Nicholas looked really impressed at Harry's skill in flying.

**He climbed carefully along one of the branches, holding tight to his broomstick, trying to see through the leaves.**

**Below, in a shadowy clearing, stood Snape, but he wasn't alone.**

Snape looked to be pondering on who he is meeting.

**Quirrell was there, too.**

Snape's eyes sharpened at this as it did seem like he was right about Quirrell.

**Harry couldn't make out the look on his face, but he was stuttering worse than ever. Harry strained to catch what they were saying.**

"… **d-don't know why you wanted t-t-to meet here of all p-places, Severus…"**

"**Oh, I thought we'd keep this private," said Snape, his voice icy.**

"**Students aren't supposed to know about the Philosopher's Stone, after all."**

**Harry leaned forward. Quirrell was mumbling something. Snape interrupted him.**

"**Have you found out how to get past that beast of Hagrid's yet?"**

Snape shook his head at how he sounded as it did make it like he was the bad guy in the story.

"**B-b-but Severus, I —"**

"**You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell," said Snape, taking a step toward him.**

"**I-I don't know what you—"**

"**You know perfectly well what I mean."**

**An owl hooted loudly, and Harry nearly fell out of the tree. He steadied himself in time to hear Snape say, "— your little bit of hocus-pocus. I'm waiting."**

"**B-but I d-d-don't —"**

The people in the room began to grow annoyed at the man's stuttering.

"**Very well," Snape cut in. "We'll have another little chat soon, when you've had time to think things over and decided where your loyalties lie."**

Snape looked exasperated at this but did not comment.

**He threw his cloak over his head and strode out of the clearing. It was almost dark now, but Harry could see Quirrell, standing quite still as though he was petrified.**

"**Harry, where have you been?" Hermione squeaked.**

"**We won! You won! We won!" shouted Ron, thumping Harry on the back. "And I gave Malfoy a black eye,**

Harry smiled a bit at this.

**and Neville tried to take on Crabbe and Goyle single-handed! He's still out cold but Madam Pomfrey says he'll be all right**

Neville looked to be berating himself and promised to defend and protect himself when in a fight of any kind.

**talk about showing Slytherin! Everyone's waiting for you in the common room, we're having a party, Fred and George stole some cakes and stuff from the kitchens."**

"**Never mind that now," said Harry breathlessly. "Let's find an empty room, you wait 'til you hear this…"**

**He made sure Peeves wasn't inside before shutting the door behind them, then he told them what he'd seen and heard.**

"**So we were right, it is the Philosopher's Stone, and Snape's trying to force Quirrell to help him get it.**

Snape grimaced at how it was being played out for him but did not speak.

**He asked if he knew how to get past Fluffy — and he said something about Quirrell's 'hocus pocus' — I reckon there are other things guarding the stone apart from Fluffy, loads of enchantments, probably, and Quirrell would have done some anti-Dark Arts spell that Snape needs to break through****—"**

Harry looked to berating himself as-well at how stupid he sounded.

"**So you mean the Stone's only safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape?" said Hermione in alarm.**

Hermione shook her head at this as it did not sound concrete to blame Professor Snape for something he may not do.

"**It'll be gone by next Tuesday," said Ron.**

Everyone chuckled at this and Harry took the book from Jean after asking and turned the page for the next chapter to read.

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><p>Hey everybody I am gonna see the new Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 film today and hope I enjoy it as-well as others have also.<p>

Read and Review my fans and thanks for the previous reviews of this and my other stories.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of Flamels and the Stone

Disclaimer: I am continuing this story now as I was a bit busy with personal problems and things but I also want to say I do not own anything or anyone besides a couple of OC's.

FYI: Please comment about my story and help with any spelling mistakes I have made in past chapters or stories but no Flames at all.

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><p>Harry read the next chapter out loud "<strong>Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback<strong>,"

Neville looked shocked at the title as did most of the others but Harry and Hermione along with her parents looked confused at the name so David asked "I can assume that that is bad then" Snape replied to David as calm as he could "Yes it is as a Norwegian Ridgeback is a very rare type of Dragon that is dangerous to anyone who comes into contact with one even a baby one as they can be very fierce when hatched and if Harry is probably going to meet one then he may need to be extra careful when near a Ridgeback" the others nodded at this and Harry looked a bit nervous at this but read on.

"**Quirrell, however, must have been braver than they'd thought.**"

Snape raised his eyebrows at that but kept quiet.

**In the weeks that followed he did seem to be getting paler and thinner, but it didn't look as though he'd cracked yet.**

**Every time they passed the third-floor corridor, Harry, Ron, and Hermione would press their ears to the door to check that Fluffy was still growling inside. Snape was sweeping about in his usual bad temper, which surely meant that the Stone was still safe. **

Snape spoke to Harry and the other people "I am probably in a bad mood because of another matter like students destroying cauldrons in Potions class or a prank by the Weasley twins" the others nodded at this and Harry felt better about that as it did not mean that Snape was angry at him or for what ever reason his book-self thought it was.

**Whenever Harry passed Quirrell these days he gave him an encouraging sort of smile,** **and Ron had started telling people off for laughing at Quirrell's stutter.**

David shook his head at the red-headed boy's stupidity at trying to do what he thought was right and David could see that Harry was grimacing at his actions but kept quiet.

**Hermione, however, had more on her mind than the Philosopher's Stone. She had started drawing up study schedules and color coding all her notes.**

David groaned at this and said to his daughter " Hermione what did I tell you about blowing things out of proportion like school work and things, you need to stop acting as if every test or exam is a life or death situation or do you not remember what happened when you where nine".

Hermione had started to look a bit cross at her fathers words but quickly changed to blushing like mad and she nodded weakly at the memory from when she was younger but was startled by Harry asked her father "What happened to her back then".

Hermione looked alarmed and was about to speak out but was silenced by a looked from her mother and so David began speaking "When Hermione was nearly nine we had moved house and the school that she went to once we had moved to our new home, Anyway Hermione had caught the flu from another student and she had missed a month of school and she had missed a few rather simple and easy tests and homework assignments also its a fact that Hermione rarely gets ill so this was fairly new to her and when she had returned to school she kind of made a bit of a spectacle of herself like locking herself into her room for days and in the Library at school until she got so worked up and bad tempered about all of it that she had shouted and threatened her teacher who had asked about the tests and assignments as she was allowed to do them when she got better but it was optional and she could just leave it if she wanted to but after that incident we had sat down and talked to Hermione about not getting so worked up and acting so emotional about simple things and to just learn to relax and take her time with things that can be dealt with easily and simply then she can sort out her problems from there but I can see that she had forgotten what to do when she is frustrated and stressed".

Harry asked curiously "what did she have to do" Hermione signed and answered Harry "I had to either listen to soft calming music or take up meditation to calm my mind but I picked a bit of both for different situations like if I was emotionally stressed then I could meditate or when I have stress over school work or tests then I would listen to music but I would do both if I was extremely stressed over something which had helped me a few times in the past but I do not know why my book self seems to not be doing anything like that".

Snape spoke to Hermione "I can answer that as in highly magical areas electronic items cannot work as the energy from magic interferes with the electronic devices which I can guess is what you used to listen to your music and you would have learned this from your school books and I can guess that you did not know where in the school to meditate in private without prefects and housemates bothering you".

Hermione nodded at this but was still nervous about what everyone else would think of her now that they knew of her problems but Neville who was silent during all this spoke calmly "I don't think that your problem is that serious (_**A/N:no pun intended**_) as I can relate to high amounts of stress and nervousness but I would deal with it by doing some gardening or work in the greenhouse at home which always did calm me working alone with plants and caring for them which I can agree on having a hobby or activity to help when stressed out" Hermione smiled happily at Neville's speech and looked at Harry who nodded in acceptance and so Hermione settled down and listened to the rest of the chapter.

**Harry and Ron wouldn't have minded, but she kept nagging them to do the same.**

Hermione blushed at this still remembering her dad's talk earlier.

"**Hermione, the exams are ages away."**

"**Ten weeks," Hermione snapped.**

David looked at Hermione who blushed even more and berated herself for acting so bad tempered and stressed over her reactions.

**"That's not ages, that's like a second to Nicolas Flamel."**

Said man raised his eyebrows at Hermione who now looked like she had a tomato for her face as it was so red from blushing.

"**But we're not six hundred years old," Ron reminded her. "Anyway, what are you studying for, you already know it's an all."**

David frowned at this as it seemed as if the boy was insulting his daughter in some way.

"**What am I studying for? Are you crazy?**

Hermione wisely continued to not speak and think about how she was overreacting about all this.

**You realize we need to pass these exams to get into the second year? They're very important, I should have started studying a month ago,**

Snape spoke to Hermione calmly and explained to her "it is only the first year tests and will be very easy as I did take them myself when I was in Hogwarts and they are mostly multiple question tests asking simple questions and having 4 answers to choose from and they are easy so as to help students ease into exams and know what to do for tests for later years and the rest of the exam is to simply do a practical assignment that first years can do like a simple spell or potion that shows what you have learned and what you are capable of" Hermione nodded feeling relived at this and continued to listen to Harry read the chapter.

**I don't know what's gotten into me…"**

**Unfortunately, the teachers seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Hermione. They piled so much homework on them that the Easter holidays weren't nearly as much fun as the Christmas ones.**

Snape raised his eyebrows at that but did not comment as he felt that the children had gotten the idea of why they were to be doing so much work which was to help them know and remember the answers to the questions in their tests.

**It was hard to relax with Hermione next to you reciting the twelve uses of dragon's blood or practicing wand movements. Moaning and yawning, Harry and Ron spent most of their free time in the library with her, trying to get through all their extra work.**

David felt that it was mostly the red-haired child that was influencing Harry to be lazy and unmotivated about working and hoped that Harry did not start acting like this soon.

"**I'll never remember this," Ron burst out one afternoon, throwing down his quill and looking longingly out of the library window. It was the first really fine day they'd had in months. The sky was a clear, forget-me-not blue, and there was a feeling in the air of summer coming.**

Jean smiled at that as it sounded nice.

**Harry, who was looking up 'Dittany' in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, didn't look up until he heard Ron say, 'Hagrid! What are you doing in the library?'**

**Hagrid shuffled into view, hiding something behind his back. **

"He's hiding something, but what" said David.

**He looked very out of place in his moleskin overcoat. **"**Jus' lookin'," he said, in a shifty voice that got their interest at once.**

Snape shook his head knowing that Hagrid would just make them more interested in what the large man was doing.

"**An' what're you lot up ter?" He looked suddenly suspicious.**

Perenell raised an eyebrow at that and thought _" He's asking them what there doing while he is acting suspicious, that's Irony right there"._

**"Yer not still lookin' fer Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?"**

Harry saw Nicolas about to speak but then he was shot down by a look from Perenell which made Harry snicker inwardly at Nicolas's actions.

"**Oh, we found out who he is ages ago," said Ron impressively. "And we know what that dog's guarding, it's a Philosopher's St—"**

David groaned inwardly and thought _"That idiot is going to be a major annoyance to my daughter and Harry when secrets need to be kept"._

"**Shhhh!" Hagrid looked around quickly to see if anyone was listening. "Don' go shoutin' about it, what's the matter with yeh?"**

David snorted and thought _"A lot of things from what I can see"._

"**There are a few things we wanted to ask you, as a matter of fact," said Harry, "about what's guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy —"**

Jean looked thoughtful and said to herself _"It makes it sound like they want to go through all those protections, I hope not" _she finished thinking worryingly.

"**SHHHH!" said Hagrid again. "Listen — come an' see me later, I'm not promisin' I'll tell yeh anythin', mind, but don' go rabbitin' about it in here, students aren' s'pposed ter know. They'll think I've told yeh —"**

"**See you later, then," said Harry.**

**Hagrid shuffled off.**

"**What was he hiding behind his back?" said Hermione thoughtfully.**

"**Do you think it had anything to do with the Stone?"**

"**I'm going to see what section he was in," said Ron, who'd had enough of working.**

Snape raised his eyebrows at that and thought _"The boy probably did the least amount of work between the three of them"_

**He came back a minute later with a pile of books in his arms and slammed them down on the table.**

"**Dragons!" he whispered.**

Jean and Hermione looked shocked at this.

**"Hagrid was looking up stuff about dragons! Look at these: Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland; From Egg to Inferno, A Dragon Keeper's Guide. "**

Nicolas raised his eyebrows at this as he remembered reading those books about Dragon's a few years ago and knew that they were a bit out of date with current Dragon facts and hoped that noting bad happened from this.

"**Hagrid's always wanted a dragon, he told me so the first time I ever met him, " said Harry.**

"**But it's against our laws," said Ron. "Dragon breeding was outlawed by the Warlocks' Convention of 1709, everyone knows that.**

Augusta spoke out loud "That is not true as that law is quite rare and the boy probably learned it from his older sibling who from what the book says is a dragon keeper/tamer but it does show that the boy is smart in some way but does not show it well" the others nodded at this though David had done so reluctantly after a look from his wife.

**It's hard to stop Muggles from noticing us if we're keeping dragons in the back garden — anyway, you can't tame dragons, it's dangerous. You should see the burns Charlie's got off wild ones in Romania."**

"**But there aren't wild dragons in Britain?" said Harry.**

Snape spoke to Harry "actually their are its just that they prefer to remain hidden in large caves or high mountains but whenever one goes near a town or city the government covers it up and those who saw it are wiped of their memory's of the experience and the dragon is then captured and taken to a reserve or a remote island to live or breed" Harry nodded amazed at this and thought of reading up about dragon's later on.

"**Of course there are," said Ron. "Common Welsh Green and Hebridean Blacks. The Ministry of Magic has a job hushing them up, I can tell you. Our kind have to keep putting spells on Muggles who've spotted them, to make them forget."**

Snape nodded at this pleased at his answer was correct.

"**So what on earth's Hagrid up to?" said Hermione.**

**When they knocked on the door of the gamekeeper's hut an hour later, they were surprised to see that all the curtains were closed. Hagrid called "Who is it?" before he let them in, and then shut the door quickly behind them.**

David raised his eyebrows at this and is even more suspicious of Hagrid's actions.

**It was stifling hot inside. Even though it was such a warm day, there was a blazing fire in the grate.**

Nicolas looked shocked as he connected the dots and thought _"Oh no he can't have"._

**Hagrid made them tea and offered them stoat sandwiches, which they refused.**

The people in the room looked a bit queasy at that and Hermione thought _"That is disgusting and those poor animals"._

"**So — yeh wanted to ask me somethin'?"**

"**Yes," said Harry. There was no point beating around the bush. "We were wondering if you could tell us what's guarding the Philosopher's Stone apart from Fluffy."**

Snape raised his eyebrows at this and said "I don't think that Hagrid will tell right away about how to get past the protections but it may take time if you know how to get information out of him" Harry nodded at this and listened to how his book-self gets the information from Hagrid.

**Hagrid frowned at him.**

"**O' course I can't," he said. "Number one, I don' know meself. Number two, yeh know too much already, so I wouldn' tell yeh if I could. That Stone's here fer a good reason. It was almost stolen outta Gringotts — I s'ppose yeh've worked that out an' all? Beats me how yeh even know abou' Fluffy."**

"**Oh, come on, Hagrid, you might not want to tell us, but you do know, you know everything that goes on round here," said Hermione in a warm, flattering voice.**

Snape looked at Hermione with approval and said "I believe that you have just found a way to get your information and I would reward house points to you when you arrive at school and are placed into your own house" Hermione blushed furiously at the praise but was still smiling at her won sneaky way of getting what she wanted from Hagrid.

**Hagrid's beard twitched and they could tell he was smiling. "We only wondered who had done the guarding, really." Hermione went on. "We wondered who Dumbledore had trusted enough to help him, apart from you."**

**Hagrid's chest swelled at these last words. Harry and Ron beamed at Hermione.**

Snape smirked at this and Hermione was still blushing a bit at her plan.

"**Well, I don' s'pose it could hurt ter tell yeh that… let's see… he borrowed Fluffy from me… then some o' the teachers did enchantments… Professor Sprout — Professor Flitwick — Professor McGonagall —" he ticked them off on his fingers, "Professor Quirrell — an' Dumbledore himself did somethin', o' course. Hang on, I've forgotten someone. Oh yeah, Professor Snape."**

"**Snape?"**

Said man grimaced a bit but kept quiet while Harry sent an apologetic look at the man which he nodded at in thanks.

"**Yeah — yer not still on abou' that, are yeh? Look, Snape helped protect the Stone, he's not about ter steal it."**

Snape nodded in thanks for his defence by Hagrid.

**Harry knew Ron and Hermione were thinking the same as he was. If Snape had been in on protecting the Stone, it must have been easy to find out how the other teachers had guarded it.**

Snape was in thought and was thinking to himself _"Or for another teacher to know about the protections for the stone and how to get past them so they can have the stone for themselves and I think i know who"._

**He probably knew everything — except, it seemed, Quirrell's spell and how to get past Fluffy.**

"**You're the only one who knows how to get past Fluffy. aren't you, Hagrid?" said Harry anxiously. "And you wouldn't tell anyone, would you? Not even one of the teachers?"**

"**Not a soul knows except me an' Dumbledore," said Hagrid proudly.**

"**Well, that's something," Harry muttered to the others. "Hagrid, can we have a window open? I'm boiling."**

"**Can't, Harry, sorry," said Hagrid. Harry noticed him glance at the fire. Harry looked at it, too.**

"**Hagrid — what's that?"**

**But he already knew what it was. In the very heart of the fire, underneath the kettle, was a huge, black egg.**

The adults who were magical looked furious at this and all shared a look and thought the same _"Dragon Egg"_

"**Ah," said Hagrid, fiddling nervously with his beard, "That's — er…"**

"**Where did you get it, Hagrid?" said Ron, crouching over the fire to get a closer look at the egg. "It must've cost you a fortune."**

"**Won it,"****said Hagrid. "Las' night. I was down in the village havin' a few drinks an' got into a game o' cards with a stranger.**

Snape groaned and had a feeling that this was not going to end well for the three children and Hagrid.

**Think he was quite glad ter get rid of it, ter be honest."**

"**But what are you going to do with it when it's hatched?" said Hermione.**

Neville looked nervous and said "I think that Hagrid is going to try to raise it himself" the rest of the group looked terrified at the thought of a dragon loose at Hogwarts.

"**Well, I've bin doin' some readin'," said Hagrid, pulling a large book from under his pillow. "Got this outta the library —Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit — it's a bit outta date, o' course, but it's all in here. Keep the egg in the fire, 'cause their mothers breathe on I em, see, an' when it hatches, feed it on a bucket o' brandy mixed with chicken blood every half hour. An' see here — how ter recognize diff'rent eggs — what I got there's a Norwegian Ridgeback. They're rare, them."**

**He looked very pleased with himself, but Hermione didn't.**

"**Hagrid, you live in a wooden house," she said.**

Snape nodded but said "I think that Hagrid will be a bit ignorant of that and just think that the dragon will be able to be treated like a pet of some kind and not harm anyone" Hermione looked cross at this but nodded and listened to more of the chapter.

**But Hagrid wasn't listening. He was humming merrily as he stoked the fire.**

Hermione looked still upset but kept quiet.

**So now they had something else to worry about: what might happen to Hagrid if anyone found out he was hiding an illegal dragon in his hut.**

"**Wonder what it's like to have a peaceful life," Ron sighed,**

Harry looked a bit hopeful of that but knew that it would not be possible of him getting a peaceful life at all with his apparent luck.

**as evening after evening they struggled through all the extra homework they were getting. Hermione had now started making study schedules for Harry and Ron, too. It was driving them nuts.**

Hermione looked miffed and said to Harry crossly "I seem to be only trying to help you know, I may have thought that you needed it" Harry looked ashamed and said "Sorry Hermione I am probably just a bit tired with all the work and everything and just need some rest" Hermione looked calmer so she nodded in appreciation and listened in to the story.

**Then, one breakfast time, Hedwig brought Harry another note from Hagrid. He had written only two words: _It's hatching_.**

Harry and Neville looked a bit interested in this and wondered what the dragon would look like.

**Ron wanted to skip Herbology and go straight down to the hut.**

David looked exasperated and thought _"I know the boy is lazy but come on that is too far"_.

**Hermione wouldn't hear of it.**

Hermione nodded at her actions and hoped that the boy would listen.

"**Hermione, how many times in our lives are we going to see a dragon hatching?"**

"**We've got lessons, we'll get into trouble, and that's nothing to what Hagrid's going to be in when someone finds out what he's doing—"**

"**Shut up!" Harry whispered.**

Hermione looked at Harry in indignation but Harry said to her "I probably saw something and the two of you were causing unwanted attention to ourselves".

**Malfoy was only a few feet away**

**and he had stopped dead to listen. How much had he heard? Harry didn't like the look on Malfoy's face at all.**

Hermione looked embarrassed at this and berated herself for not thinking of who may be listening to them while she and the boy argued and promised herself to not be so loud when speaking or arguing as she remembered how loud she could be as she nearly deafened her father when she was arguing with him over her bad habits and anti-social behavior of not talking about her life at school like bully's and things as she knew that her father had found out a year ago when he was picking her up from school and saw her be bullied by a bunch of other kids after classes but was snapped out pf her memories by her dad giving her shoulder a squeeze as he seemed to know what she was thinking and just gave her a comforting smile.

**Ron and Hermione argued all the way to Herbology and in the end,**

**Hermione agreed to run down to Hagrid's with the other two during morning break. When the bell sounded from the castle at the end of their lesson, the three of them dropped their trowels at once and hurried through the grounds to the edge of the forest. Hagrid greeted them, looking flushed and excited.**

"**It's nearly out." He ushered them inside.**

**The egg was lying on the table. There were deep cracks in it. Something was moving inside; a funny clicking noise was coming from it.**

**They all drew their chairs up to the table and watched with bated breath.**

Nicolas spoke out to the kids and said "You may want to back up when it hatches as some dragon eggs can explode like a bomb and cause a lot of fires" the children looked more uneasy at this but nodded in thanks for the warning.

**All at once there was a scraping noise and the egg split open. The baby dragon flopped onto the table. It wasn't exactly pretty; Harry thought it looked like a crumpled, black umbrella. Its spiny wings were huge compared to its skinny jet body, it had a long snout with wide nostrils, the stubs of horns and bulging, orange eyes.**

Snape looked interested at this and said to Harry "Although it may not seem as elegant as some other dragon's the Ridgeback is very powerful and deadly when fully grown as it's sharp pointed tail is filled with a powerful venom that comes from its mouth which is transferred from there to the edge of the tail" Harry looked wary of this and hoped that he does not get poisoned from this experience.

**It sneezed. A couple of sparks flew out of its snout.**

"**Isn't he beautiful?"****Hagrid murmured.**

Snape snorted at this but kept silent.

**He reached out a hand to stroke the dragon's head. It snapped at his fingers, showing pointed fangs.**

"Careful," said Snape.

"**Bless him, look, he knows his mummy!" said Hagrid.**

"**Hagrid," said Hermione, "how fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks grow, exactly?"**

**Hagrid was about to answer when the colour suddenly drained from his face —**

Harry looked interested in what was making this happen so listened in.

**he leapt to his feet and ran to the window.**

"**What's the matter?"**

"**Someone was lookin' through the gap in the curtains — it's a kid — he's runnin' back up ter the school."**

**Harry bolted to the door and looked out. Even at a distance there was no mistaking him.**

**Malfoy had seen the dragon.**

"Oh no!" gasped all of the group and was now getting nervous at what would play out from here.

**Something about the smile lurking on Malfoy's face during the next week made Harry, Ron, and Hermione very nervous.**

Harry was annoyed at Malfoy's tactics but was hoping that he would not rat them out.

**They spent most of their free time in Hagrid's darkened hut, trying to reason with him.**

"**Just let him go," Harry urged. "Set him free."**

"**I can't," said Hagrid. "He's too little. He'd die."**

Snape looked exasperated and said "Its a dragon not a fish" while shaking his head.

**They looked at the dragon. It had grown three times in length in just a week. Smoke kept furling out of its nostrils. Hagrid hadn't been doing his gamekeeping duties because the dragon was keeping him so busy. There were empty brandy bottles and chicken feathers all over the floor.**

"**I've decided to call him Norbert," said Hagrid,**

Perenell spoke out "I think that it may be a female dragon, but I do not know why so the dragon may need a new name".

**looking at the dragon with misty eyes. "He really knows me now, watch. Norbert! Norbert! Where's Mummy?"**

"**He's lost his marbles," Ron muttered in Harry's ear.**

Harry frowned at this and did not like the other boy's attitude.

"**Hagrid," said Harry loudly, "give it two weeks and Norbert's going to be as long as your house. Malfoy could go to Dumbledore at any moment."**

**Hagrid bit his lip.**

"**I — I know I can't keep him forever, but I can't jus' dump him, I can't."**

**Harry suddenly turned to Ron. "Charlie." he said.**

The Flamels looked at Harry in pride at their soon to be nephew's quick thinking.

"**You're losing it, too," said Ron. "I'm Ron, remember?"**

David and Snape rolled their eyes and each thought _"Heaven give me peace"_

"**No — Charlie — your brother, Charlie. In Romania. Studying dragons. We could send Norbert to him. Charlie can take care of him and then put him back in the wild!"**

"**Brilliant!" said Ron. "How about it, Hagrid?"**

**And in the end, Hagrid agreed that they could send an owl to Charlie to ask him.**

The adults were very proud in Harry's actions and plan's and hoped that it would work out.

**The following week dragged by.**

**Wednesday night found Hermione and Harry sitting alone in the common room, long after everyone else had gone to bed. The clock on the wall had just chimed midnight when the portrait hole burst open. Ron appeared out of nowhere as he pulled off Harry's invisibility cloak. He had been down at Hagrid's hut, helping him feed Norbert, who was now eating dead rats by the crate.**

"**It bit me!"**

Snape grimaced and said "that boy will need medical attention and fast".

**he said, showing them his hand, which was wrapped in a bloody handkerchief.**

"**I'm not going to be able to hold a quill for a week. I tell you, that dragon's the most horrible animal I've ever met, ******but the way Hagrid goes on about it, you'd think it was a fluffy little bunny rabbit.****

******When it bit me he told me off for frightening it. And when I left, he was singing it a lullaby."******

Everyone burst out laughing at the image of Hagrid doing a lullaby to the baby dragon while dodging flame burps.

**There was a tap on the dark window.**

"**It's Hedwig!" said Harry, hurrying to let her in. "She'll have Charlie's answer!"**

**The three of them put their heads together to read the note.**

_**Dear Ron,**_

_**How are you? Thanks for the letter — I'd be glad to take the Norwegian Ridgeback, but it won't be easy getting him here. I think the best thing will be to send him over with some friends of mine who are coming to visit me next week. Trouble is, they mustn't be seen carrying an illegal dragon.**_

_**Could you get the Ridgeback up the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday? They can meet you there and take him away while it's still dark.**_

_**Send me an answer as soon as possible.**_

_**Love,**_

_**Charlie**_

**They looked at one another.**

"**We've got the invisibility cloak," said Harry. "It shouldn't be too difficult – I think the cloaks big enough to cover two of us and Norbert."**

Snape spoke to Harry with a questioning eyebrow "Harry won't the cloak catch fire from the dragons flame when you are using it and there are really easy spells & charms that can be safer to use than the cloak that can supply invisibility just the same as yours can" Harry was a little pale but was thinking on his lack of foresight on what magic could possibly do and how he could just use spells than damaging the only item that was linked to his father and there was something else no that he was thinking on it which was how come he did not get something of his mothers like a diary or journal of some kind that told him about his mother and even one from his father, Harry promised to ask his new family about that as they may have an idea on how he could find such things.

**It was a mark of how bad the last week had been that the other two agreed with him. Anything to get rid of Norbert — and Malfoy.**

**There was a hitch. By the next morning, Ron's bitten hand had swollen to twice its usual size.**

Snape nodded grimly at his suspicions being correct on the dragon's poisonous fangs.

**He didn't know whether it was safe to go to Madam Pomfrey —**

Nicholas leaned down to Harry's ear and spoke "I think that the nurse could be able to keep secrets from the oaths she would have likely needed to have taken on her healing and nursing finals when she became a magical healing nurse and she could only tell those secrets to the headmaster but only if he had asked directly and I do not think that will happen anytime soon" Harry nodded in thanks and continued to listen to the chapter.

**would she recognize a dragon bite? By the afternoon, though, he had no choice. The cut had turned a nasty shade of green. It looked as if Norbert's fangs were poisonous.**

Snape raised an eyebrow at Harry who blushed a bit as he remembered what Snape had said about the dragon's venom but answered back to Snape "I am sure that my book-self does not know about how dangerous that the dragon's bite is and is only guessing from observation" Snape nodded and returned to listening to the chapter.

**Harry and Hermione rushed up to the hospital wing at the end of the day to find Ron in a terrible state in bed.**

"**It's not just my hand," he whispered, "although that feels like it's about to fall off. Malfoy told Madam Pomfrey he wanted to borrow one of my books so he could come and have a good laugh at me. He kept threatening to tell her what really bit me — I've told her it was a dog, but I don't think she believes me**— **I shouldn't have hit him at the Quidditch match, that's why he's doing this."**

Snape spoke out and said "I do know that Draco will try to get the three of them punished if it benefits him in anyway besides ridding Harry from the school but Draco would be trying to find the right tie to spring his plan and he may not do it for a little while until he knows that it is the right moment. Harry and Hermione nod at this as it helped calm them a bit for how they could have time to defend their case against Malfoy.

**Harry and Hermione tried to calm Ron down.**

"**It'll all be over at midnight on Saturday," said Hermione, but this didn't soothe Ron at all. On the contrary, he sat bolt upright and broke into a sweat.**

"**Midnight on Saturday!" he said in a hoarse voice. "Oh no oh no — I've just remembered — Charlie's letter was in that book Malfoy took, he's going to know we're getting rid of Norbert."**

David groaned at the red headed idiot's foul up for keeping secrets and also wondered why the idiot kept the letter in the book instead in a bag or his pockets or had given it to Harry or Hermione for safe keeping but was snapped out of his thoughts by Harry continuing to read out the story.

**Harry and Hermione didn't get a chance to answer. Madam Pomfrey came over at that moment and made them leave, saying Ron needed sleep.**

"**It's too late to change the plan now," Harry told Hermione. "We haven't got time to send Charlie another owl, and this could be our only chance to get rid of Norbert. We'll have to risk it. And we have got the invisibility cloak, Malfoy doesn't know about that."**

**They found Fang, the boarhound, sitting outside with a bandaged tail when they went to tell Hagrid, who opened a window to talk to them.**

"**I won't let you in," he puffed. "Norbert's at a tricky stage — nothin' I can't handle."**

**When they told him about Charlie's letter, his eyes filled with tears, although that might have been because Norbert had just bitten him on the leg.**

"**Aargh! It's all right, he only got my boot — jus' playin' — he's only a baby, after all."**

Snape spoke to Harry reassuringly who was nervous about his soon to be large friend's health and said "Hagrid will not be poisoned as he is part giant and his heritage gives him great resistance to poisons or tough spells so he will only feel the pain of being bitten and not the poison" Harry calmed down at this and was a bit interested of how Hagrid was part giant but it did explain his strength and size.

**The baby banged its tail on the wall, making the windows rattle.**

**Harry and Hermione walked back to the castle feeling Saturday couldn't come quickly enough.**

**They would have felt sorry for Hagrid when the time came for him to say good-bye to Norbert if they hadn't been so worried about what they had to do. It was a very dark, cloudy night, and they were a bit late arriving at Hagrid's hut because they'd had to wait for Peeves to get out of their way in the entrance hall, where he'd been playing tennis against the wall. Hagrid had Norbert packed and ready in a large crate.**

"**He's got lots o' rats an' some brandy fer the journey," said Hagrid in a muffled voice. "An' I've packed his teddy bear in case he gets lonely."**

Jean grimaced a bit as he can think on what would happen to the teddy bear if it was with the vicious baby dragon and hoped that the man named Hagrid would act not so weird once the dragon was gone.

**From inside the crate came ripping noises that sounded to Harry as though the teddy was having his head torn off.**

Jean winced at her correct diagnosis.

"**Bye-bye, Norbert!" Hagrid sobbed, as Harry and Hermione covered the crate with the invisibility cloak and stepped underneath it themselves. "Mummy will never forget you!"**

**How they managed to get the crate back up to the castle, they never knew. Midnight ticked nearer as they heaved Norbert up the marble staircase in the entrance hall and along the dark corridors. Up another staircase, then another – even one of Harry's shortcuts didn't make the work much easier.**

Snape raised his eyebrows at this and said "You could have levitated the crate beside you instead of carrying it by hand as it would have made the job quicker and easier to carry to the top of the tower" Harry and Hermione winced at their lack of foresight again and where wondering why they were acting so stupid about how to carry out their plan's with not using something that they could already do and use with their magic.

"**Nearly there!" Harry panted as they reached the corridor beneath the tallest tower.**

**Then a sudden movement ahead of them made them almost drop the crate. Forgetting that they were already invisible, they shrank into the shadows,** **staring at the dark outlines of two people grappling with each other ten feet away.**

Everyone became tense and waited to find out if the three had been discovered.

**A lamp flared. Professor McGonagall, in a tartan bathrobe and a hair net,**

Snape snickered slightly at the sight and hoped to tease her a little about it next time he saw her.

**had Malfoy by the ear.**

Neville looked eager at the chance for the ponce of a boy to get into trouble.

"**Detention!" she shouted. "And twenty points from Slytherin! Wandering around in the middle of the night, how dare you —"**

The kids cheered a little at Malfoy getting his comeuppance for being a posh prat.

"**You don't understand, Professor. Harry Potter's coming — he's got a dragon!"**

"**What utter rubbish! How dare you tell such lies! Come on — I shall see Professor Snape about you, Malfoy!"**

Said man was smiling a bit as he wondered on how Draco would be punished by him.

**The steep spiral staircase up to the top of the tower seemed the easiest thing in the world after that. Not until they'd stepped out into the cold night air did they throw off the cloak, glad to be able to breathe properly again. Hermione did a sort of jig.**

"**Malfoy's got detention! I could sing!"**

"**Don't," Harry advised her.**

Hermione looked a bit miffed but Harry covered up for his book-self's words by saying "You could have sung loudly and not known and then we would be caught by McGonagall and then gotten into trouble proving Malfoy right and would you really want to see the smug look on the ponce's face if he knew he was right about the dragon all along" Hermione calmed down at that and looked embarrassed at her overreacting to this and promised to not overreact so much while Harry let out a silent sigh of relief here Neville raised his thumb up in saying _"Nice save mate"_ where Harry nodded silently in thanks and continued reading the story.

**Chuckling about Malfoy, they waited, Norbert thrashing about in his crate. About ten minutes later, four broomsticks came swooping down out of the darkness.**

**Charlie's friends were a cheery lot. They showed Harry and Hermione the harness they'd rigged up, so they could suspend Norbert between them. They all helped buckle Norbert safely into it and then Harry and Hermione shook hands with the others and thanked them very much.**

**At last, Norbert was going… going… gone.**

Everyone sighed in total relief at the disaster being averted.

**They slipped back down the spiral staircase, their hearts as light as their hands, now that Norbert was off them. No more dragon — Malfoy in detention — what could spoil their happiness?**

**The answer to that was waiting at the foot of the stairs. As they stepped into the corridor, Filch's face loomed suddenly out of the darkness.**

"**Well, well, well," he whispered, "we are in trouble."**

Everyone looked shocked at this and let out a groan as they heard the last sentence of the chapter.

**They'd left the invisibility cloak on top of the tower.**

Harry was berating himself for his carelessness but passed the book to Hermione to read so they could find put what happened next.

* * *

><p><strong>SORRY FOR THE WAIT AS I HAD BEEN HOOKED ON A SERIES OF FICS THAT WAS A CROSSOVER WITH DC AND X-MEN:EVOLUTION <strong>**MADE BY THE AUTHOR 'THE WRITER WITH NO NAME' AND HAD ONLY FINISHED THEM A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO AND HAVE USED ALL OF MY OTHER SPARE TIME TRYING TO COMPLETE THIS CHAPTER AND ALSO DEALING WITH COLLEGE SO I WILL START THE NEXT CHAPTER SOME TIME NEXT WEEK AND FINISH IT WHEN I CAN. **


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of Flamels and the Stone

Disclaimer: Hey readers it's good to see you and thank you for the reviews and adding of favourite author/Story along with Alerts of new chapters I was kind of shocked at how many of them I got so quickly and it took me a near half hour just to read them all on my account but I am grateful to have so many fans of my stories but now for the boring stuff to write and no it is not the story it's, I do not own anything or anyone besides my OC's or ideas, which I am happy about using.

FYI: I have a few new stories that I will write in the future and they are great ideas and one of them involves a certain Boy-Who-Lived and a special green watch that fell from space.

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><p>Hermione spoke out the chapter title <strong> "The Forbidden Forest".<strong>

The adults looked shocked at the title and each worried about the reason for such a title while the children were nervous over what would happen to them. Both Flamel's were conversing with each other magically in thought through their marriage bond (**A/N: will explain to you later after chapter is finished on bottom note).**

Nicolas thought to his wife _"If Albus is going to accept this detention and punishment then I will wring his neck for sending them there" _Perenelle thought back _"I know and I can only hope that Harry will be okay" _and Nicolas sent a final mental message to his wife _"I hope so Nelly, I hope so_.

Hermione continued reading out after everyone calmed down **"**Things couldn't have been worse."****

Neville spoke to Harry and Hermione and said "You do know that just jinxed your situation even more" both of them looked to be exasperated at their badluck of late and wondered why they were so unlucky bit let the thought go as Hermione continued reading.

**"Filch took them down to Professor McGonagall's study on the first floor, where they sat and waited without saying a word to each other. Hermione was trembling. Excuses, alibis, and wild cover- up stories chased each other around Harry's brain, each more feeble than the last".**

Snape leaned in a bit and spoke to Harry calmly and said "I know Minerva and have worked with her for quite some time and I know that she could spot a lying child from a mile away so it is not your fault for being nervous about this but if you would like I could help you keep calm and not so nervous when you are in trouble" he finished with a small smile which Harry returned in thanks as he nodded in agreement as they both listened to the rest of the chapter.

**"He couldn't see how they were going to get out of trouble this time. They were cornered. How could they have been so stupid as to forget the cloak?"**

Nicolas spoke to Harry in a comforting whisper in his ear as Nicolas said "It was not your fault and you were just distracted by accomplishing getting the dragon away from the school and made a mistake which caused this to happen so all you need to do next time is not to get so distracted and focus on the plan when you are in the middle of doing one, learn from your mistakes and improve on them" Harry smiled and sighed in relief at the advice and hugged his new uncle in thank's.

**"There was no reason on earth that Professor McGonagall would accept for their being out of bed and creeping around the school in the dead of night, let alone being up the tallest astronomy tower, which was out-of-bounds except for classes. **Add Norbert and the invisibility cloak, and they might as well be packing their bags already.****

Perenell spoke to the children comfortably and said "You won't be expelled only given detention and some points taken off but Harry your cloak is a family heirloom and it is illegal for it to be taken from your possession without your consent or the thief will face a trial or heavy fine for stealing it and you can also summon it magically to you as it is linked to your families deep magic's that has been attached to the cloak".

Harry was curious about the meaning of family magic and asked about it which Perenell explained "Every magical family has a special talent in magic or anything related to it and this can vary for each family members but from what is rumored The Potters were very well skilled and versed in Runes and Transfiguration and some times a particular piece of this talent or spell is recorded in a special book that only the family members can access but it can be fully accessed by the head of the family meaning you Harry since you are typically the last Potter so far you can access it completely without trouble".

She continued after a breath "The book will be found in your families ancestral home or Vault and no not your one that you went with Hagrid as that is only you trust vault which holds all your allowance and funds for school your tuition to Hogwarts but you cannot access the family vault until you are 15, are emancipated or allowed access by your magical guardian which is the wizard that looks after you in some way but that will change when we become your new guardians and the family vault holds all sorts of things like old jewelry, books and family items collected over the time that your family have lived in the world" Harry looked very excited at this as he thought about it, an entire vault filled with his families things and all the information about them which is what he always wanted growing up information about his family but calmed down as Hermione continued reading.

**"**Had Harry thought that things couldn't have been worse? He was wrong. When Professor McGonagall appeared, she was leading Neville".****

Said boy looked confused at this as he wondered what he was doing up so late at night.

"**Harry!" Neville burst out, the moment he saw the other two. "I was trying to find you to warn you, I heard Malfoy saying he was going to catch you, he said you had a drag—" **Harry shook his head violently to shut Neville up, but Professor McGonagall had seen. She looked more likely to breathe fire than Norbert **as she towered over the three of them".******

The adults groaned at this while Augusta looked a bit miffed and was about to lay into his grandson's lack of restraint but was cut off by him speaking back to her confidently which surprised her a bit "Gran I know that I made a mistake but you don't have to be so grumpy and stressed about it and also what would you have done at my age in a similar situation hmm" Augusta looked to be thinking a bit at that and looked a bit embarrassed at the fact that she would have reacted very similar to how his grandson had been at the moment and had the decency to look a bit ashamed at how hypocritical she was being to her grandson and which Neville nodded at in acceptance while Snape gave Neville a look of respect at his quick thinking but Snape also chuckled mentally at the thought of Minerva acting like a dragon breathing fire.

"**I would never have believed it of any of you. Mr. Filch says you were up in the astronomy tower. It's one o'clock in the morning. Explain yourselves."**

Hermione paused in her reading to contemplate how she would react as she had never really been gotten into trouble at her primary school besides the incident that her father had mentioned was her own fault and she was stressed but she continued reading as the next sentence gave her an answer.

**It was the first time Hermione had ever failed to answer a teacher's question. She was staring at her slippers, as still as a statue.**

Hermione frowned at this as she seemed to be in shock and denial of her situation of being in trouble.

"**I think I've got a good idea of what's been going on," said Professor McGonagall. "It doesn't take a genius to work it out. You fed Draco Malfoy some cock-and-bull story about a dragon, trying to get him out of bed and into trouble.**

Snape shook his head at Minerva's hot hotheadedness and temper as he had seen it cause incorrect and unneeded punishments for many students which had been innocent and he had tried to help out when he could especially his Slytherin students as they were caught by her a lot but hoped he could help Harry in the future if he was caught in the line of Minerva's ire.

**"I've already caught him. I suppose you think it's funny that Longbottom here heard the story and believed it, too?" ****Harry caught Neville's eye and tried to tell him without words that this wasn't true, because Neville was looking stunned and hurt".**

Neville looked thankful for Harry trying to help him and smiled in appreciation.

**Poor, blundering Neville — Harry knew what it must have cost him to try and find them in the dark, to warn them.**

Neville was understanding from the apologetic look he got from Harry and answered "I was only trying to help my friend and dorm-mate as you would have done for me as-well" Harry nodded in agreement. while both boys are talking to each other Hermione thought to herself _"H__e would make a good Hufflepuff for being so loyal to Harry and me, I wonder if Neville would change school houses when he comes to Hogwarts after all this" _Hermione finishes her thoughts and continues reading_._

"**I'm disgusted," said Professor McGonagall. "Four students out of bed in one night! I've never heard of such a thing before!**

Snape snorted at this unbelieving of what Minerva had just said as he knew that Potter Senior had done those kinds of things plenty of times and a few times was caught by her along with Lupin, Pettigrew and Black he thought the last name with disgust and anger at how black had betrayed Lily he now softly thinks of his old long time friend and of how he lost that friendship in a fit of anger and rage against his rival's but then he has another thought as to why Minerva had said that as he now knew how starved of information Harry was about his parents and would have thought that Minerva would be speaking to Harry about them as he knew of how Minerva saw both Lily and Potter as dear friends and would really want to tell Harry about them as he knew that she must have noticed Harry's sadness of not knowing a lot about them.

He shook his head from his thoughts as he knew that answers would probably show up later and if not He could talk to Harry about them after the book was done so he continued listening to the chapter.

**You, Miss Granger, I thought you had more sense. As for you, Mr. Potter, I thought Gryffindor meant more to you than this. All three of you will receive detentions — yes, you too, Mr. Longbottom, nothing gives you the right to walk around school at night, especially these days, it's very dangerous — and fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor."**

The adults were a bit shocked at the amount taken as were the children as they all thought that the amount taken would be 20 points at least and Snape was a bit confused at why his colleague and old mentor was acting this way but continued listening to the chapter.

"**Fifty?" Harry gasped**

Snape spoke to Harry and the other two children saying "It is best that you do not question Minerva when she is angry as it will only make the punishment worse and also do not interrupt her when she is in a tirade as it will be not good to do so for your sake's, If you want to make your defense against Minerva then you need to wait for her to give you a chance like when she asked for you three to explain what you were doing you could have tried to make a defensible story that was not a total lie but more truthful so as to not allow Minerva to catch you lying as it will be more believable for her to accept your case and less of a chance for you to not get into so much trouble as if you make your story more believable then Minerva may be more calm to deal with.

The children nodded at this but Hermione was showing to have reluctance in not telling the complete truth to a teacher but covered it up as she remembered that she had to lie to the Professor to protect her friends and her own involvement when they had confronted the troll so she continued reading.

**"**— **they would lose the lead, the lead he'd won in the last Quidditch match."**

"**Fifty points each," said Professor McGonagall, breathing heavily through her long, pointed nose."**

"**Professor — please —"**

"**You can't —"**

"**Don't tell me what I can and can't do, Potter. Now get back to bed, all of you. I've never been more ashamed of Gryffindor students."**

Snape was inwardly thinking on what was making his colleague so angry and unfair and hoped that it was not something bad and he wondered if when he got back to school he would try to become apart of the discussion as he felt that this would happen anyway even without the changes that would happen to Harry and his life with the Flamel's determination to become Harry's new guardians and family and wondered if he could somehow prevent the extreme punishment that he now thinks of what the children would receive but he continued listening to the chapter while planning his confrontation with Minerva.

**"A hundred and fifty points lost. That put Gryffindor in last place. In one night, they'd ruined any chance Gryffindor had had for the house cup".**

David frowned at this but refrained from speaking...for now.

**"Harry felt as though the bottom had dropped out of his stomach. How could they ever make up for this? ****Harry didn't sleep all night. He could hear Neville sobbing into his pillow for what seemed like hours".**

Neville groaned at this as he was not liking how he was being portrayed at all, as if he was a big crybaby that was such a wimp at anything and promised himself to prove this book wrong.

**"Harry couldn't think of anything to say to comfort him. He knew Neville, like himself, was dreading the dawn. ****What would happen when the rest of Gryffindor found out what they'd done?"**

Snape winced in sympathy as he can guess of how the other hot-headed pupils would react to this loss of winning their chances of the school cup.

**"At first, Gryffindors passing the giant hourglasses that recorded the house points the next day thought there'd been a mistake. How could they suddenly have a hundred and fifty points fewer than yesterday? And then the story started to spread: Harry Potter, the famous Harry Potter, their hero of two Quidditch matches, had lost them all those points, him and a couple of other stupid first years."**

Jean frowned at this as she did not like of how the other students were acting towards the children at all but kept silent.

**"From being one of the most popular and admired people at the school, Harry was suddenly the most hated".**

Harry looked sad at this as he wanted to be liked by others not hated but was snapped out of it by a comforting squeeze in the shoulder by Perenell which Harry smiled slightly in thanks and continued listening in on the chapter hoping that things would blow over soon.

**"Even Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs turned on him, because everyone had been longing to see Slytherin lose the house cup. Everywhere Harry went, people pointed and didn't trouble to lower their voices as they insulted him".**

Both Nicolas and Augusta were furious at their old houses actions as they each think on how their old houses had fallen from their standings and made them feel disappointment especially Augusta who remembers the Hufflepuff motto they always swore by "Fidelitas quod equitas supremus totus ut alius" (A/N:_"Loyalty and fairness above all to others")_.

**"Slytherins, on the other hand, clapped as he walked past them, whistling and cheering, "Thanks Potter, we owe you one!""**

Snape frowned at this as he had hoped that his snakes would be more subtle in their insults and not be doing them in the open within view of the other teachers and promised himself to talk with his pupils about not angering Harry at all (A/N: Hey, I may have made him nicer but he is still a Slytherin himself).

**"Only Ron stood by him".**

Hermione winced at the look of hurt and sadness coming from Harry as-well as the looks of disappointment and anger from her parents but she replied weakly to them "I'm Sorry" Harry nodded slightly in acceptance but still looked betrayed about it while Hermione's parents nodded stiffly as they still were very ashamed of their daughter but calmed slightly to listen to the chapter.

"**They'll all forget this in a few weeks. Fred and George have lost loads of points in all the time they've been here, and people still like them." "They've never lost a hundred and fifty points in one go, though, have they?" said Harry miserably. **"**Well — no," Ron admitted.**

David snorted despite his feelings at the moment and thought to himself _"Not very comforting is he, Idiotic red-head._

**"It was a bit late to repair the damage, but Harry swore to himself not to meddle in things that weren't his business from now on. He'd had it with sneaking around and spying."**

Snape snorted a bit which Harry caught and looked curious about so Snape elaborated "Your mother was very curious and nosy about other peoples lives and would run around trying to solve puzzles and mysteries that would crop up in school, many of which linked to your father and his friends causing mayhem and pranks and how they had done them so I am guessing that you had inherited Lily's inquisitive personality and some of the times that I would hear her try to stop herself from meddling in others lives and situations but it would only last for a while then she would be back to her normal self, solving mysteries and puzzles" Harry looked amazed in how he was so much like his mother and wondered how much Snape knew about his mother and hoped to hear some more about her which Snape seemed to pick up on so he nodded his head as Harry had turned to ask him about her but waved him away so as to say later on he would tell her.

**"He felt so ashamed of himself that he went to Wood and offered to resign from the Quidditch team. "**Resign?" Wood thundered. "What good'll that do? How are we going to get any points back if we can't win at Quidditch?" **But even Quidditch had lost its fun. The rest of the team wouldn't speak to Harry during practice, and if they had to speak about him, they called him "the Seeker."******

Both David and Nicolas frowned at this and hoped that Harry would feel much better soon while growling about the other quidditch team's snide remarks to Harry.

**"Hermione and Neville were suffering, too. They didn't have as bad a time as Harry, because they weren't as well-known, but nobody would speak to them, either. Hermione had stopped drawing attention to herself in class, keeping her head down and working in silence."**

Hermione's parents mood's had improved at this as they can now understand how Hermione in the book was feeling but they were still a bit cross with their daughter's actions.

**Harry was almost glad that the exams weren't far away.**

Perenell looked a bit mixed in her feelings as she was proud of her nephew's thoughts of doing his exam's but was also annoyed at his lack of effort to acknowledge how important it was to do the exam's and hoped that she could fix Harry's apparent laziness in working and school.

**"All the studying he had to do kept his mind off his misery. He, Ron, and Hermione kept to themselves, working late into the night, trying to remember the ingredients in complicated potions, learn charms and spells by heart, memorize the dates of magical discoveries and goblin rebellions… ****Then, about a week before the exams were due to start, Harry's new resolution not to interfere in anything that didn't concern him was put to an unexpected test."**

Snape looked to be a bit proud of his correct assumption in Harry being a bit like his mother and not lasting long when their is a mystery about which Harry could sense and was a bit embarrassed at how short of a control of his curiosity he had.

**"Walking back from the library on his own one afternoon, he heard somebody whimpering from a classroom up ahead. As he drew closer, he heard Quirrell's voice. "**No — no — not again, please —" ******It sounded as though someone was threatening him. Harry moved closer. **"**All right — all right —" he heard Quirrell sob. **Next second, Quirrell came hurrying out of the classroom straightening his turban. He was pale and looked as though he was about to cry."****

Both Snape and Nicolas looked at each other remembering their conversation not too long ago of how they were very suspicious of Quirrell and his actions and wondered how it would plan out for the weird acting teacher.

**"He strode out of sight; Harry didn't think Quirrell had even noticed him. He waited until Quirrell's footsteps had disappeared, then peered into the classroom. It was empty, but a door stood ajar at the other end. Harry was halfway toward it before he remembered what he'd promised himself about not meddling."**

Snape snorted inwardly and thought _"That restraint will not last long if he is like Lily at all"._

**"All the same, he'd have gambled twelve Philosopher's Stones that Snape had just left the room, and from what Harry had just heard, Snape would be walking with a new spring in his step — Quirrell seemed to have given in at last."**

Snape this time groaned inwardly at how he is being blamed for all this when the real facts seem to point to the other person responsible.

**"Harry went back to the library, where Hermione was testing Ron on Astronomy. Harry told them what he'd heard. **"**Snape's done it, then!" said Ron. "If Quirrell's told him how to break his Anti-Dark Force spell —""**

Snape and David snorted at this as they think similar things, Snape - "_Stupid boy there is no such thing as an anti-dark force spell", _David _"That boy is a total Imbecile for thinking that such a thing would exist as it sounds completely unbelievable"._

"**There's still Fluffy, though," said Hermione. **"**Maybe Snape's found out how to get past him without asking Hagrid," **said Ron, looking up at the thousands of books surrounding them. "I bet there's a book somewhere in here telling you how to get past a giant three-headed dog. ****So what do we do, Harry?"****

Snape raised an eyebrow and thought _"I would be able to get past it on my own as I do remember a lesson in COMC about __Cerberus's in my third year and of what to do when confronting one but hopefully the secret remains safe for now unless they confront a book about them which I doubt as the books will have probably been removed by the headmaster to stop students fro getting past the dog"._

**"The light of adventure was kindling again in Ron's eyes, but Hermione answered before Harry could **"**Go to Dumbledore, t**hat's what we should have done ages ago. If we try anything ourselves we'll be thrown out for sure."****

Snape answered Hermione who looked to be a bit anxious about getting into trouble and said "You will not get thrown out if you tell them what you know and the headmaster will merely ask how you all would know of this and that you keep it secret and do not worry about the stone because it will be protected by powerful spells that will be difficult to get past" Hermione nodded relieved at this and hoped that it would happen but with how their luck has went so far as-well as how the book is going it may not happen till much later when they are too desperate and will want to do something to protect he stone and ignore the teachers advice.

"**But we've got no proof!" said Harry. "Quirrell's too scared to back us up. Snape's only got to say he doesn't know how the troll got in at Halloween and that he was nowhere near the third floor — who do you think they'll believe, him or us?"**

David spoke to his daughter "He has got a point but I do think that the headmaster will want to hear both sides of the story and decide for himself what he thinks is best at the moment" Hermione nodded at this as does Snape who mouths to him _"Thanks for the defence"_ which David nods and mouths back _"your welcome"_.

**"It's not exactly a secret we hate him, Dumbledore'll think we made it up to get him sacked."**

Snape looked annoyed at this but the children say out loud "Sorry Professor" Snape nods back stiffly in appreciation for the apology.

**"Filch wouldn't help us if his life depended on it, he's too friendly with Snape, and the more students get thrown out, the better, he'll think".**

Augusta frowned at this and thought to herself _"I will have to be at the next board of governor's meeting about having Filch sacked and a better caretaker be hired for the school and maybe see if I can have some new classes added for first and second years to the school from what I can see from the book there needs to be a class for muggleborn and muggle-raised like Harry to teach them important facts and things about the wizarding world and how to act in our world so they do not act so clueless when they are in the magical world" _she promised to get this done as soon as possible so that the children can experience all of this soon at school but continued listening to the chapter.

**And don't forget, we're not supposed to know about the Stone or Fluffy. That'll take a lot of explaining."**

Snape nodded at this but knew that it could be done with some sneakiness.

**Hermione looked convinced, but Ron didn't.**

"**If we just do a bit of poking around —"**

David was getting really annoyed with the boy's personalty, it was as if he was there to cause trouble and make Harry do all these crazy things and take the blame for it and make the red headed boy less of a target for punishment _"But that makes no sense, the boy get's nothing good out of it also unless the twit is being made to do this but who would do so and why" _David ponders some more on this but is having no more answers coming to him but does see that Snape is looking at him as if he is telling himself that they can talk later about it so he nods back and continues to hear about the chapter.

"**No," said Harry flatly, "we've done enough poking around." ****He pulled a map of Jupiter toward him and started to learn the names of its moons. ****The following morning, notes were delivered to Harry, Hermione, and Neville at the breakfast table. They were all the same: ****Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight."**

The atmosphere was tense as everyone is thinking the same thing _"THE DETENTION IS THERE IN THAT PLACE"._

**"Meet Mr. Filch in the entrance hall. **Professor McGonagall"****

Everyone was silent about this as they hoped that it would be fine.

**"Harry had forgotten they still had detentions to do in the furor over the points they'd lost. He half expected Hermione to complain that this was a whole night of studying lost, but she didn't say a word. Like Harry, she felt they deserved what they'd got."**

The tension broke a bit by David's chuckle and speaking "always the rule keeper my little girl" he smiled amused at Hermione who was blushing a bit but she continued reading out loud.

**"At eleven o'clock that night, they said good-bye to Ron in the common room and went down to the entrance hall with Neville. Filch was already there — and so was Malfoy. Harry had also forgotten that Malfoy had gotten a detention, too."**

Snape was thoughtful on what this kind of detention would teach Draco in the lesson of subtlety and patience when planning and how not to act so stupid when acting it out.

"**Follow me," said Filch, lighting a lamp and leading them outside. **"**I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh?" he said, leering at them.**

Jean shuddered at this as she did not want to meet this man in a dark place as she felt that he would do horrid things to her but was even more frightened at this kind of man being around her daughter and the other children but calmed down when her husband hugged her tightly in comfort whispering calming words in her ear which she responded by hugging her husband closer and relaxing more.

"**Oh yes… hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me…****Right, off we go, and don't think of running off, now, it'll be worse for you if you do." "****They marched off across the dark grounds. Neville kept sniffing. Harry wondered what their punishment was going to be. It must be something really horrible, or Filch wouldn't be sounding so delighted."**

Augusta looked disgusted and angry while thinking _"THAT MAN IS GETTING SACKED AND I MEAN AS FAST POSSIBLE"._

**"The moon was bright, but clouds scudding across it kept throwing them into darkness. Ahead, Harry could see the lighted windows of Hagrid's hut. Then they heard a distant shout." **"**Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started."**

The adults felt more relived at this while Snape spoke to the children "You will be much safer with Hagrid around as he would protect you with his very life especially you Harry as I can tell that he really likes you as your book-self does" Harry nodded relieved at the protection he would be receiving.

**"Harry's heart rose; if they were going to be working with Hagrid it wouldn't be so bad. His relief must have showed in his face, because Filch said, "I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf?"**

Harry was angry at the insult that the filthy man said about his future friend and hoped that the caretaker was going to get his own punishment for saying that to Hagrid.

**"Well, think again, boy — it's into the forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece."**

The children all tensed at the idea of going into the most dangerous forest that they had heard of and hoped that they all would be okay.

**At this, Neville let out a little moan, and Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks. **"**The forest?" he repeated, and he didn't sound quite as cool as usual. **"**We can't go in there at night — there's all sorts of things in there — werewolves, I heard."**

Snape groaned inwardly at this as he remembered a certain wolf that used to go into there and his own involvement in telling Lucius about a little about it who must have told Draco in a sort of scary story when the child was younger but continues listening into the story.

**"Neville clutched the sleeve of Harry's robe and made a choking noise. **"**That's your problem, isn't it?" said Filch, his voice cracking with glee. "Should've thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?" ****Hagrid came striding toward them out of the dark, Fang at his heel. He was carrying his large crossbow, and a quiver of arrows hung over his shoulder."**

Snape raised an eyebrow at this and wondered what Hagrid was doing using that as he knew that Hagrid only used his crossbow in a dangerous situation of when dealing with a dangerous creature and remembered when he had to go along once to collect some potions ingredients from the forest and wondered what Hagrid was hunting so he listened in on the story.

"**Abou' time," he said. "I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right, Harry, Hermione?" **"**I shouldn't be too friendly to them, Hagrid," said Filch coldly, "they're here to be punished, after all."**

Augusta frowned and growled at this and was really wanting this caretaker gone soon.

"**That's why yer late, is it?" said Hagrid, frowning at Filch. "Bin lecturin' them, eh? 'Snot your place ter do that. Yeh've done yer bit, I'll take over from here."**

Augusta smiled now at Hagrid's dealing with Filch and wondered if she could repay the giant man in some way but then she got and idea but knew that it would take time to do so she waited and listened to the story while planning to help the large kind man.

"**I'll be back at dawn," said Filch, "for what's left of them," he added nastily,"**

Jean shuddered again at this but calmed when her husband kissed her forehead and whispered soothing words into her ear while he was pondering how he could beat the snot out of the cruel and smelly caretaker in some way for making his wife and daughter uncomfortable and uneasy.

**"and he turned and started back toward the castle, his lamp bobbing away in the darkness. ****Malfoy now turned to Hagrid. **"**I'm not going in that forest," he said, and Harry was pleased to hear the note of panic in his voice."**

Perenell and Nicolas smirked at this as they also were pleased at the snooty blond boy being made into showing what he really was, a pathetic rude weakling who is stupid as he is bigoted.

"**Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts," said Hagrid fiercely. "Yeh've done wrong an' now yeh've got ter pay fer it." **"**But this is servant stuff, it's not for students to do. I thought we'd be copying lines or something, if my father knew I was doing this, he'd—"**

Snape smirked a bit at that as he knew that Lucius would not be able to do anything until the detention was over but then it would be nearly impossible to actually get anyone to blame or be punished.

"—**tell yer that's how it is at Hogwarts," Hagrid growled. "Copyin' lines! What good's that ter anyone? Yeh'll do summat useful or yeh'll get out. If yeh think yer father'd rather you were expelled, then get back off ter the castle an' pack. Go on."**** Malfoy didn't move. He looked at Hagrid furiously, but then dropped his gaze."**

The children all cheered "GO HAGRID" in glee of their large friends tactics and all continued hearing about the chapter.

"**Right then," said Hagrid, "now, listen carefully, 'cause it's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight, ****an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow me over here a moment." "****He led them to the very edge of the forest. Holding his lamp up high, he pointed down a narrow, winding earth track that disappeared into the thick black trees. A light breeze lifted their hair as they looked into the forest. **"**Look there," said Hagrid, "see that stuff shinin' on the ground? Silvery stuff?"**

Snape and the Flamel's all gasped at this and all thought the same thing _"Unicorn Blood"_

**"That's unicorn blood."**

The rest of the group gasped also at this and all where scared at what this could mean.

"**There's a unicorn in there bin hurt badly by summat. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might have ter put it out of its misery."**

The women all were sympathetic at this as they all felt sad at having to put to sleep a unicorn.

"**And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" said Malfoy, unable to keep the fear out of his voice."**

Harry smirked at this.

"**There's nothin' that lives in the forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang," said Hagrid. **"**An' keep ter the path. Right, now, we're gonna split inter two parties an' follow the trail in diff'rent directions. There's blood all over the place, it must've bin staggerin' around since last night at least.**

The women were sympathetic to the injured creature and it made them very sad to have the unicorn put down.

"**I want Fang," said Malfoy quickly, looking at Fang's long teeth.**

Snape shook his head and thought _"appearances can be deceiving"_

"**All right, but I warn yeh, he's a coward," said Hagrid. "So me, Harry, an' Hermione'll go one way an' Draco, Neville, an' Fang'll go the other."**

Nicolas said out loud "that is a bad team-up and not very smart as neither one of the children know any defensible spells or charms that could save them from the other dangerous creatures in the forest like the colony of giant spiders that are rumored to live their or the other creatures that are rumored to live their and the only spell so far that they would know would be the levitation charm or the light/lumos spell which would buy a person time as it could blind the opponent for a few moments allowing the person to get to safety" the rest of the adults were in agreement in this while Snape thinks to himself _"I may need to teach them some spells to defend themselves when I see them at Hogwarts and also teach them how to keep their mind and thoughts safe if we all want to keep this book and its details secure so that the headmaster will not know about it and begin his infuriating meddling in other people's business" _while Harry is thinking _"That lumos spell idea sounds like a good idea to use and I think that when we finish this book and all of the other things are out of the way I may need to study hard and learn all I can about defending myself and friends" _with these thoughts in mind of both males they continue listening to Hermione read the story.

**"Now, if any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right? Get yer wands out an' practice now — that's it — an' if anyone gets in trouble, send up red sparks, an' we'll all come an' find yeh — so, be careful — let's go."**

Nicolas raised and eyebrow at this plan and nodded a bit as it did sound a bit better for safety reason's but he thinks on what would happen if any of the children lost their wand by accidentally tripping over a log or plant but decided to listen and see what the book told him.

**"The forest was black and silent. A little way into it they reached a fork in the earth path, and Harry, Hermione, and Hagrid took the left path while Malfoy, Neville, and Fang took the right. ****They walked in silence, their eyes on the ground. Every now and then a ray of moonlight through the branches above lit a spot of silver-blue blood on the fallen leaves. ****Harry saw that Hagrid looked very worried."**

"**Could a werewolf be killing the unicorns?" Harry asked.**

Snape shook his head at this remembering his the incident with the Whomping willow and Lupin but cleared his head as he answered the children "A werewolf could do so if the unicorn was already injured but a fully grown and healthy unicorn would be much faster than a werewolf so it not be able to reach the unicorn at all" the children were thoughtful on this information but Hermione snapped out of her thoughts quickly by reading out-loud the rest of the chapter.

"**Not fast enough," said Hagrid. "It's not easy ter catch a unicorn, they're powerful magic creatures. I never knew one ter be hurt before. ****They walked past a mossy tree stump. Harry could hear running water; there must be a stream somewhere close by. There were still spots of unicorn blood here and there along the winding path."**

"**You all right, Hermione?" Hagrid whispered. "Don' worry, it can't've gone far if it's this badly hurt, an' then we'll be able ter — GET BEHIND THAT TREE!"**

The whole group tensed by this and had jumped by Hermione's bellow at the end of the last sentence which Hermione said "sorry" even though Harry would swear that he caught a twinkle in Hermione's eye at the time but it had gone a second later as Hermione continued the story.

**"Hagrid seized Harry and Hermione and hoisted them off the path behind a towering oak. He pulled out an arrow and fitted it into his crossbow, raising it, ready to fire. The three of them listened. Something was slithering over dead leaves nearby: it sounded like a cloak trailing along the ground. Hagrid was squinting up the dark path, but after a few seconds, the sound faded away."**

David was curious about that as it sounded like a person was in the forest with them as-well.

"**I knew it," he murmured. "There's summat in here that shouldn' be." **"**A werewolf?" Harry suggested."**

Neville asked Harry "what is it with you and werewolf's?" Harry shrugged and answered "I was probably nervous and werewolf's are the only magical creature that is dangerous that I probably know of" Neville nodded at this and the boys continued listening into the story.

"**That wasn' no werewolf an' it wasn' no unicorn, neither," said Hagrid grimly. "Right, follow me, but careful, now."**

**"They walked more slowly, ears straining for the faintest sound. Suddenly, in a clearing ahead, something definitely moved." **"**Who's there?" Hagrid called. "Show yerself — I'm armed!" ****And into the clearing came — was it a man, or a horse?**

All the adults eyebrows shot up at this while the non magical parents and the children jaws dropped at the description until Neville started mumbling about centaurs which caused different reactions from the other children like Hermione who was in shock at the name while Harry looked confused at this and asked aloud "What's a centaur?" which silenced the others ramblings and they all looked at a now embarrassed Harry who was looking very nervous at the stares he was getting but Nicolas answered for Harry who he could see was getting panicked and so he laced his speech with a calming spell and explained.

"A centaur is a magical creature or being that is half human and half horse with the top half of the horse body is human with the head, chest and arms and the horse part attached at the waist of the human part, also a centaur is very philosophical/astrological meaning that they are very wise but speak in riddles and base their speech on the planets and the star's which they can make near accurate predictions of the future and link it to a certain person or item but their are the rare types of centaurs who are able to speak in less riddles and can actually talk to human's without the need to confuse them with their riddles but those kind of centaurs are very few as most are taught from after birth all about their culture and they are already made to be acting as they should be according to their culture and another thing of interest is that they are warriors who fight with a bow and arrow and sometimes a sword or spear but they only do so during a war or are protecting their territory" Harry was fascinated and interested at this type of culture as was the other two especially Hermione who while was skeptical about making prophesies and using the stars and planets to make predictions was happy at learning something knew from Nicolas who was pleased at how attentive the children were of his knowledge of other creatures and would not hear about the magical creatures from a bigoted ministry worker or a pompous so called "Pureblood" but the group listened to the rest of the story.

**To the waist, a man, with red hair and beard, but below that was a horse's gleaming chestnut body with a long, reddish tail. Harry and Hermione's jaws dropped. **"**Oh, it's you, Ronan," said Hagrid in relief. "How are yeh?" ****He walked forward and shook the centaur's hand.**

Nicolas was smiling and thinking _"At least this centaur is pleasant and not so brash and rude as some of them are"._

"**Good evening to you, Hagrid," said Ronan. He had a deep, sorrowful voice. "Were you going to shoot me?" **"**Can't be too careful, Ronan," said Hagrid, patting his crossbow. "There's summat bad loose in this forest. This is Harry Potter an' Hermione Granger, by the way. Students up at the school. An' this is Ronan, you two. He's a centaur.**

"**We'd noticed," said Hermione faintly.**

Both boys sniggered at this but were cowed at the stern look they got from Hermione who says "I was nervous and shocked okay" both boys nod weakly and listen some more.

"**Good evening," said Ronan. "Students, are you? And do you learn much, up at the school?", **"**Erm — ****A bit," said Hermione timidly.**

David chuckled at this but was silenced by his wife by her 'your sleeping on the couch if you don't behave look' who smiled at her daughter and let her continue.

"**A bit. Well, that's something." Ronan sighed. He flung back his head and stared at the sky. "Mars is bright tonight."**

Perenell blinked at this an thought on what it could mean.

"**Yeah," said Hagrid, glancing up, too. "Listen, I'm glad we've run inter yeh, Ronan, 'cause there's a unicorn bin hurt — you seen anythin'?"**

**Ronan didn't answer immediately. He stared unblinkingly upward, then sighed again.**

"**Always the innocent are the first victims,"**

Augusta tensed as she thought so to on the predictions.

**he said. "So it has been for ages past, so it is now."**

"**Yeah," said Hagrid, "but have yeh seen anythin' Ronan? Anythin' unusual?"**

"**Mars is bright tonight,"**

Perenell was thinking some more but still listened to the story to get some more details.

**"Ronan repeated, while Hagrid watched him impatiently. "Unusually bright."**

Both Augusta and Perenell gasped together and looked at each other saying silently "War is coming soon" which makes the women nervous and agree silently that they would need to talk once the book was over.

**"****Yeah, but I was meanin' anythin' unusual a bit nearer home," said Hagrid. "So yeh haven't noticed anythin' strange?"**

**"Yet again, Ronan took a while to answer. At last, he said, "The forest hides many secrets."**

Perenell wondered what that means but is cut off by Hermione reading aloud again.

**A movement in the trees behind Ronan made Hagrid raise his bow again, but it was only a second centaur, black-haired and - bodied and wilder-looking than Ronan. **"**Hullo, Bane," said Hagrid. "All right?" **"**Good evening, Hagrid, I hope you are well?" **"**Well enough. Look, I've jus' bin askin' Ronan, you seen anythin' odd in here lately? There's a unicorn bin injured — would yeh know anythin' about it?"**

**Bane walked over to stand next to Ronan. He looked skyward. "Mars is bright tonight," he said simply.**

Both elder women look at another as their suspicions have been confirmed.

"**We've heard," said Hagrid grumpily. "Well, if either of you do see anythin', let me know, won't yeh? We'll be off, then." ****Harry and Hermione followed him out of the clearing, staring over their shoulders at Ronan and Bane until the trees blocked their view. **"**Never," said Hagrid irritably, "try an' get a straight answer out of a centaur. Ruddy stargazers. Not interested in anythin' closer'n the moon."**

All the adults chuckled at this as Hagrid says this.

"**Are there many of them in here?" asked Hermione. **"**Oh, a fair few… Keep themselves to themselves mostly, but they're good enough about turnin' up if ever I want a word. They're deep, mind, centaurs… they know things… jus' don' let on much." **"**D'you think that was a centaur we heard earlier?" said Harry. **"**Did that sound like hooves to you? Nah, if yeh ask me, that was what's bin killin' the unicorns – never heard anythin' like it before."**

Snape frowned at this and wondered what it could actually be.

**They walked on through the dense, dark trees. Harry kept looking nervously over his shoulder. He had the nasty feeling they were being watched.**

Nicolas nodded at this as it seemed that Harry had good instincts on him and thought on how this could help him when he is in a dangerous situation like now.

**He was very glad they had Hagrid and his crossbow with them. They had just passed a bend in the path when Hermione grabbed Hagrid's arm.**

"**Hagrid! Look! Red sparks, the others are in trouble!"**

Both Snape and Augusta were nervous at what could have happened while Neville was pale with fright.

"**You two wait here!" Hagrid shouted. "Stay on the path, I'll come back for yeh!"**

Nicolas frowned at this and wondered if Hagrid forgot how defenseless the children were as he knew that Hagrid could handle himself but probably would forget from time to time of how fragile some people were compared to him.

**They heard him crashing away through the undergrowth and stood looking at each other, very scared, until they couldn't hear anything but the rustling of leaves around them. **"**You don't think they've been hurt, do you?" whispered Hermione. **"**I don't care if Malfoy has, but if something's got Neville… it's our fault he's here in the first place."**

Hermione and Neville looked at him weirdly and so Harry asked "what are you staring at me for" Neville answered with a shrug and said "we both just had a feeling that you would be blaming yourself for all this as we know that you always act as if you are responsible for everything that goes on around you" Harry looked sheepish at this and promised himself to not be so stupid in blaming himself for other people's mistakes and when it was true that things could get out of their control he would have blamed himself but he could not help it, as he was taught this by his relatives that everything that bad happened was his fault whenever he did something by accident or Dudley had put the blame on him so he himself could get into trouble and be punished but was snapped out of it by Nicolas and Perenell comforting him by hugging him tighter and stroking his hair to calm him down.

**The minutes dragged by. Their ears seemed sharper than usual. Harry's seemed to be picking up every sigh of the wind, every cracking twig. What was going on? Where were the others?, **At last, a great crunching noise announced Hagrid's return.****

******Malfoy, Neville, and Fang were with him. Hagrid was fuming. Malfoy, it seemed, had sneaked up behind Neville and grabbed him as a joke. **Neville had panicked and sent up the sparks.********

Augusta was furious at this as was Neville who was muttering about making the little git feel pure pain for dong such a horrible prank on him while Snape was feeling angry at how stupid and ignorant that Draco was being for pulling such a prank on the other boy and was very tempted to smack that stupid boy's backside hard for this.

"**We'll be lucky ter catch anythin' now, with the racket you two were makin'. Right, we're changin' groups — Neville, you stay with me an' Hermione, Harry, you go with Fang an' this idiot. I'm sorry," **Hagrid added in a whisper to Harry, "but he'll have a harder time frightenin' you, an' we've gotta get this done."****

Harry nodded and thought _"It would be more like of how scared that that blond ponce is of me and the forest"_ he smirked at the last bit and was planning on how to get the idiot back for that prank on Neville.

**So Harry set off into the heart of the forest with Malfoy and Fang. They walked for nearly half an hour, deeper and deeper into the forest, until the path became almost impossible to follow because the trees were so thick. Harry thought the blood seemed to be getting thicker. ****There were splashes on the roots of a tree, as though the poor creature had been thrashing around in pain close by.**

**Harry could see a clearing ahead, through the tangled branches of an ancient oak. **"**Look —" he murmured, holding out his arm to stop Malfoy. ****Something bright white was gleaming on the ground. They inched closer. ****It was the unicorn all right, and it was dead.**

The women were sad at this but listened to the rest of the chapter.

**Harry had never seen anything so beautiful and sad. Its long, slender legs were stuck out at odd angles where it had fallen and its mane was spread pearly-white on the dark leaves.**

Harry was nearly crying at how beautiful the unicorn must have been when it was alive but froze as the next sentence was uttered.

**Harry had taken one step toward it when a slithering sound made him freeze where he stood. A bush on the edge of the clearing quivered… Then, out of the shadows, a hooded figure came crawling across the ground like some stalking beast. Harry, Malfoy, and Fang stood transfixed. The cloaked figure reached the unicorn, lowered its head over the wound in the animal's side, and began to drink its blood.**

All the adults who were magical were gobsmacked until they all shouted out "WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN AND MORGANA" and they all quietened down and listened some more.

"**AAAAAAAAAARGH!" ****Malfoy let out a terrible scream.**and bolted — so did Fang. ****

All the adults groaned loudly and Snape said "that will only grab the hooded creature's attention even more".

****The hooded figure raised its head and looked right at Harry —****

Perenell was terrified and shouted "Run Harry, Run".

**unicorn blood was dribbling down its front. ****It got to its feet and came swiftly toward Harry — he couldn't move for fear.**

Everyone was also terrified at this and all were hoping that it would be okay.

**Then a pain like he'd never felt before pierced his head; it was as though his scar were on fire.**

The adults looked confused at this although they were still scared for Harry's safety both Snape and Nicolas exchanged looks and both thought _"that scar is something else and dangerous to Harry"._

**Half blinded, he staggered backward. He heard hooves behind him, galloping, and something jumped clean over Harry, charging at the figure.**

Perenell was puzzled at what could have possibly saved her nephew from that creature so she continued to listen to the chapter.

**The pain in Harry's head was so bad he fell to his knees. It took a minute or two to pass. When he looked up, the figure had gone. A centaur was standing over him, not Ronan or Bane; this one looked younger; he had white-blond hair and a palomino body.**

Hermione looked surprised at how handsome the centaur sounded and hoped he was friendly to Harry.

"**Are you all right?" said the centaur, pulling Harry to his feet. **"**Yes — thank you — what was that?"**

Nicolas thought to himself _"that's what I want to know too"._

**The centaur didn't answer. He had astonishingly blue eyes, like pale sapphires. He looked carefully at Harry, his eyes lingering on the scar that stood out, livid, on Harry's forehead.**

Harry unconsciously rubbed his scar in testing how it was at the moment but it felt fine besides an occasional twinge now and again.

"**You are the Potter boy," he said. "You had better get back to Hagrid. The forest is not safe at this time — especially for you. Can you ride? It will be quicker this way."**

All the adults who were magical had looks of disbelief on their faces at a centaur letting a human ride in it's back like this while the others were confused at the expressions on the magical people's faces and Hermione asked "What is wrong with a centaur letting it be ridden" Nicolas answered the curious girl "It may be explained in this book later on but if not I will explain for you" Hermione nodded in acceptance and continued reading aloud.

"**My name is Firenze," he added, as he lowered himself on to his front legs so that Harry could clamber onto his back. ****There was suddenly a sound of more galloping from the other side of the clearing.**

Nicolas looked thoughtful as he pondered to himself _"This will not end well for the young centaur as I can guess that he may be banished from his tribe or herd for such an act". _He thought of how he could help this horse-man if such a thing does happen in the future but he continued listening to the chapter.

**Ronan and Bane came bursting through the trees, their flanks heaving and sweaty. **"**Firenze!" Bane thundered. "What are you doing? You have a human on your back! Have you no shame? Are you a common mule?"**

Hermione frowned at this but continued reading hoping she would get some answers from this chapter.

"**Do you realize who this is?" said Firenze. "This is the Potter boy. The quicker he leaves this forest, the better."**

Both flamels who knew about Centaur culture nodded in agreement with the young centaur as he was only trying to protect his home and herd from the strange dark creature that had killed the unicorn and seemed to be connected with Harry but they knew that some of the centaur's would see this as treason for their own kind.

"**What have you been telling him?" growled Bane. "Remember, Firenze, we are sworn not to set ourselves against the heavens. Have we not read what is to come in the movements of the planets?"**

Augusta was shocked at how her suspicions were truly confirmed that war would be coming soon to their own lives.

**Ronan pawed the ground nervously. "I'm sure Firenze thought he was acting for the best," he said in his gloomy voice. ****Bane kicked his back legs in anger.** "**For the best! What is that to do with us? Centaurs are concerned with what has been foretold! It is not our business to run around like donkeys after stray humans in our forest!"**

David frowned at this as he thought on how arrogant this creature was being about not caring for those who are innocent in their own way from what is going on around them.

**Firenze suddenly reared on to his hind legs in anger, so that Harry had to grab his shoulders to stay on. ****"**Do you not see that unicorn?" Firenze bellowed at Bane. "Do you not understand why it was killed? Or have the planets not let you in on that secret? I set myself against what is lurking in this forest, Bane, yes, with humans alongside me if I must."****

Nicolas was very surprised at this and thought _"This centaur is very special indeed"._

**And Firenze whisked around; with Harry clutching on as best he could, they plunged off into the trees, leaving Ronan and Bane behind them. ****Harry didn't have a clue what was going on.**

_"As usual" _grumbled to himself as he was annoyed at how clueless he was being in this whole book as he knew that he was smart but he had to hide it and play dumb so as to not anger his relatives when he was doing better than Dudley in school and making his cousin look very dumb and stupid which he thought was not very hard as all his cousin had to do was walk and talk so he would always look dumb in what ever he had done but Harry shook his head and thought on how he himself in the book was acting and it seemed as if always dumping himself down had affected him badly and had kept doing it subconsciously when he was at Hogwarts in fear of his relatives knowing how good he was at school if they had ever sent a report card to them which he now thinks on did sound very stupid as from what he knew about the magical world it was stuck in the past and before school's sent report cards to the parents or guardian's of the pupil as he knew that they would need to meet with the school to find out themselves which he doubted as from what he knew of his relatives they would not want to be in a million miles of somewhere magical at all so he continued listening to the chapter while promising himself to not act so stupid all the time and actually use his brain in any situation.

"**Why's Bane so angry?" he asked. "What was that thing you saved me from, anyway?" ****Firenze slowed to a walk, warned Harry to keep his head bowed in case of low-hanging branches, but did not answer Harry's question. They made their way through the trees in silence for so long that Harry thought Firenze didn't want to talk to him anymore. They were passing through a particularly dense patch of trees, however, when Firenze suddenly stopped. **"**Harry Potter, do you know what unicorn blood is used for?"**

Snape and Nicolas tensed at this as they both knew exactly what it could be used for.

"**No," said Harry, startled by the odd question. "We've only used the horn and tail hair in Potions."**

Snape thought to himself grimly _"Be glad that is all we use" _as he knew that the other pieces of a unicorn would be used for terribly dark and evil ritual's and potions which he knew that the dark lord had used himself to make him strong and powerful creations for horrifying purposes.

"**That is because it is a monstrous thing, to slay a unicorn," said Firenze. "Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something pure and defenseless to save yourself, and you will have but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips."**

The other people who never knew this were sick and disgusted with whatever had done this especially Harry and David who looked deathly ill at the prospect of being cursed for life by slaying such a pure and noble creature.

**Harry stared at the back of Firenze's head, which was dappled silver in the moonlight. **"**But who'd be that desperate?" he wondered aloud. "If you're going to be cursed forever, death's better, isn't it?"**

Snape stiffened at this as his mind formed who would be so desperate to stay alive _"He can't be alive, he can't"_. he shuddered a bit at the prospect of Lily's murderer being alive.

"**It is," Firenze agreed, "unless all you need is to stay alive long enough to drink something else — something that will bring you back to full strength and power — something that will mean you can never die. Mr. Potter, do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?" **"**The Philosopher's Stone! Of course — the Elixir of Life! But I don't understand who —"**

Snape and Nicolas looked at each other in terror at Voldemort being alive and searching for a way to return to power.

"**Can you think of nobody who has waited many years to return to power, who has clung to life, awaiting their chance?" ****It was as though an iron fist had clenched suddenly around Harry's heart. Over the rustling of the trees, he seemed to hear once more what Hagrid had told him on the night they had met: "Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die."**

Harry was terrified at the revelation as Perenell "Voldemort is at Hogwarts" the other looked fearful but they continued listening to the chapter.

"**Do you mean," Harry croaked, "that was Vol- " "Harry! Harry, are you all right?" ****Hermione was running toward them down the path, Hagrid puffing along behind her.**

Everyone let out a relived sigh at this but Snape was wondering what had happened to Draco.

"**I'm fine," said Harry, hardly knowing what he was saying. "The unicorn's dead, Hagrid, it's in that clearing back there." ** **"This is where I leave you," Firenze murmured as Hagrid hurried off to examine the unicorn. "You are safe now." ****Harry slid off his back. **"**Good luck, Harry Potter," said Firenze. "The planets have been read wrongly before now, even by centaurs. I hope this is one of those times."**

Perenell thought to herself _"I hope your right about that"_.

**He turned and cantered back into the depths of the forest, leaving Harry shivering behind him.**

Hermione paused and said "There is a scene change here just so you don't get confused at this" the other people in the room nodded appreciatively for this.

**Ron had fallen asleep in the dark common room, waiting for them to return. He shouted something about Quidditch fouls when Harry roughly shook him awake.**

Hermione shook head and muttered in her head _"Boy's"_.

**In a matter of seconds, though, he was wide-eyed as Harry began to tell him and Hermione what had happened in the forest. ****Harry couldn't sit down. He paced up and down in front of the fire. He was still shaking.**

Both Flamel's hugged Harry in comfort and continued listening to the chapter.

"**Snape wants the stone for Voldemort… and Voldemort's waiting in the forest… and all this time we thought Snape just wanted to get rich…"**

Snape grimaced at this as he listened to this as he did not want to do this at all and he did not want to be rich as he was already fairly well of from his job as a potions Master and the inheritance from his mother when she had passed away but calmed down at the apologetic look he was getting from Harry which he nodded in appreciation for Harry's way of saying sorry for his book-self's actions.

"**Stop saying the name!" said Ron in a terrified whisper, **as if he thought Voldemort could hear them.****

David snorted inwardly and thought _"A coward, a bully and an idiotic jealous prat, that is a great friend to hang about with. I hope that Harry picks someone better as a friend than this waste of a good person."_ but he still listened to the book's chapter while hoping with every fiber of his being that Harry does not pick this idiot for a friend.

**Harry wasn't listening.**

"**Firenze saved me, but he shouldn't have done so… Bane was furious… he was talking about interfering with what the planets say is going to happen… They must show that Voldemort's coming back… Bane thinks Firenze should have let Voldemort kill me… I suppose that's written in the stars as well."**

Perenell looked furious at this and turned to Harry saying sternly but angrily "Never, Never say that or think that AGAIN HARRY JAMES POTTER" she shouted at the now terrified Harry who was nodding fast up and down to appease the angry aunt who had calmed down and was hugging Harry tightly while crying with tears running down her face at how his nephew is so accepting of death but calmed down some more when Harry mumbled an apology and they both listened to the chapter.

"**Will you stop saying the name!" Ron hissed.**

"**So all I've got to wait for now is Snape to steal the Stone," Harry went on feverishly, "then Voldemort will be able to come and finish me off… Well, I suppose Bane'll be happy." ****Hermione looked very frightened, but she had a word of comfort.**

Harry smiled at Hermione who blushed back but kept reading aloud.

"**Harry, everyone says Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was ever afraid of, with Dumbledore around, You-Know-Who won't touch you. ******Anyway, who says the centaurs are right? It sounds like fortune-telling to me, and Professor McGonagall says that's a very imprecise branch of magic."****

Perenell shook her head and thought _"I will nee to have a long talk with her about her narrowed mindedness"._

**The sky had turned light before they stopped talking. They went to bed exhausted, their throats sore. But the night's surprises weren't over. ****When Harry pulled back his sheets, he found his invisibility cloak folded neatly underneath them. There was a note pinned to it:**

_**Just in case.**_

Hermione spoke "That's the end of this chapter who want's to read next?" she asked

"I will dear" Augusta said but as she took the book David asked "Weren't you going to tell us a bit more about the centaurs Nicolas"

Nicolas blinked and chuckled then said "I think that I did David so all of you pay attention now" Everyone else leaned in and listened to the wise old man.

"Centaurs are very noble creatures and find that giving any showing of compassion to human's who may take advantage of this are weak and unfit to be one of their kind as in the past many people have made it a hard for Centaur's to live and be in peace with their everyday lives as many other witches and wizards have taken their land and homes because of greed and arrogance shown in many magical people today who forget how from their own mistakes that has caused many peace treaties between human's and Centaurs to be near impossible to achieve and because of their noble attitude they feel that being ridden is an insult to their kind as you have seen in this chapter as they feel like they are treated like normal horses who are controlled and tamed to do many people's bidding".

Every one was silent from this except Perenell who was proud of her husband's knowledge but everyone else had snapped out of their stupor by Augusta speaking "Well, we had better finish this book soon as it it getting late again so let us read the last few chapter's left" everyone nodded and so they listened to Augusta begin reading the next chapter of the book.

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><p>That is the end of this chapter and I will start the next one soon, maybe in the middle of next week.<p>

P.S: The thing about the marriage bond is that from the other fics talking about soul bond's being real, I thought that I should make my own version which is a step down from a soul bond as the marriage bond is when two people who are a very close match to each other magically will be gifted with the ability to communicate magically in their mind with each other but it will only happen if the two people are being married by magical means like a contract or binding ritual performed but this can only happen to those who are completely compatible with one another when married and if they are less than compatible then they do not get the gift of being able to mind speak with each other.

See ya and PM me about my story if you like if you do not want to review but you can if you want.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of Flamel's and the Stone

Disclaimer: I do not own anything or anyone besides my OC's.

F.Y.I: I must thank you for your reviews so far and the amount of followers that I have at the moment with the last chapter and its reactions and for those who have noticed a few errors in my spelling and grammar then I am sorry for the confusion but I am writing/typing my fics how I like and I will only fix them when I can like a few weeks after I finish a chapter or story but it depends on my mood also while I do enjoy getting some help I am annoyed by the amount of people listing my mistakes and for the few missing additions to the fic like semi-colon's and such I am confused by what they are as I have trouble remembering some things like that and it can be annoying at times but if anyone is willing to assist me then that is much appreciated. On with the chapter and only a couple more to or so to go.

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><p>Augusta read out the chapter with trepidation <strong>"Through the Trapdoor"<strong>

Everyone groaned at this as the adults could imagine why the title was this while the children all looked embarrassed at what they would probably be doing. But they all calmed down as Augusta read on.

**In years to come, Harry would never quite remember how he had managed to get through his exams when he half expected Voldemort to come bursting through the door at any moment.**

Neville thought to himself sarcastically amused _"Well that's a pleasant and non distracting thought"_.

**Yet the days crept by, and there could be no doubt that Fluffy was still alive and well behind the locked door.**

Perenell thought to herself _"Good then we do not have to worry but I still feel very anxious about this chapter's title"._

**It was sweltering hot, especially in the large classroom where they did their written papers. They had been given special, new quills for the exams, which had been bewitched with an Anti cheating spell.**

David frowned and spoke out-loud to the magical people bar the children "Couldn't you just use a spell the room to be keep it cool in the warm weather and that will save the kids from probably fainting from the heat during the exam's because I do know some people who react badly from high levels of heat surrounding them when concentrating on something"

Snape and Augusta paused and thought about the idea of using this for the students and both slowly nodded as Augusta spoke "That is not a bad idea Mr Granger I will keep that so I can use it when I am dealing with other things relative to the school and I am sure that Professor Snape will not mind doing the casting of the spells.

David nodded in appreciation as he knew that it would probably help his daughter who he knew would have her hair causing problems as it would become more of a mess and be heavier than usual with the amount of sweating she would be having during the exam but she probably would have found a way to deal with it in her own way.

**They had practical exams as well. Professor Flitwick called them one by one into his class to see if they could make a pineapple tap dance across a desk. Professor McGonagall watched them turn a mouse into a snuffbox — points were given for how pretty the snuffbox was, but taken away if it had whiskers. Snape made them all nervous,**

Snape sent the children apologetic looks for his probable behavior he may show them during the exam which the returned with nods of acceptance for Snape's book-self's attitude towards them.

**breathing down their necks while they tried to remember how to make a Forgetfulness potion.**

Snape chuckled as did Nicolas who enjoyed the double entendre of the exam potion as did those who got the joke.

**Harry did the best he could, trying to ignore the stabbing pains in his forehead,**

Snape and Nicolas frowned at the mentioning of the scar as they both think _"This cannot be good if it keep's happening"_.

**which had been bothering him ever since his trip into the forest. Neville thought Harry had a bad case of exam nerves because Harry couldn't sleep, but the truth was that Harry kept being woken by his old nightmare, except that it was now worse than ever because there was a hooded figure dripping blood in it.**

Harry shuddered but was comforted by Perenell who squeezed his hand and smiled kindly at Harry to which he was grateful.

**Maybe it was because they hadn't seen what Harry had seen in the forest, or because they didn't have scars burning on their foreheads, but Ron and Hermione didn't seem as worried about the Stone as Harry. The idea of Voldemort certainly scared them, but he didn't keep visiting them in dreams, and they were so busy with their studying they didn't have much time to fret about what Snape or anyone else might be up to.**

Snape grimaced in annoyance at how he was being portrayed but kept silent.

**Their very last exam was History of Magic. One hour of answering questions about batty old wizards who'd invented self stirring cauldrons and they'd be free, free for a whole wonderful week until their exam results came out. When the ghost of Professor Binns told them to put down their quills and roll up their parchment, Harry couldn't help cheering with the rest.**

Everyone chuckled at how the students were reacting to Binns test and personality.

"**That was far easier than I thought it would be," said Hermione as they joined the crowds flocking out onto the sunny grounds.**

"**I needn't have learned about the 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct or the uprising of Elfric the Eager."**

David spoke to his thoughts to the three children "this is a good lesson that you all should learn and use which is always study a little bit of the subjects relevant to the courses classes linked to your final exam but also spend your time quizzing yourself by asking either of you friend's to help by giving them the book on the subject and having them make up a short list of questions that will keep you motivated and help you remember your information for the exam, but you can also do this for other instances like if you are lost and confused about something you can list your own personnel question's or thoughts and use that to clear your cluttered mind while taking a look at the listed items as with the question's listed in front of you, you will be less distracted and able to work some of them out as you can concentrate on what you need to think and solve for yourself"

The children all nodded and thought on how useful the advice would be for them to use as they all came to different conclusions, (Harry) _"That sound good to me and it could help me as I do get confused and distracted by _a lot with things" __(Neville) _"Wow that will help me ton's and since I only need to remember one subject at a time it will be easier for me to remember it all and be less forgetful and with my friends helping me I can do better in studying" _(Hermione) _"That could be useful and I would be better focused on my tasks rather than work myself up all the time with having to try to cram all that knowledge into my mind"_. The children smiled at their thoughts and thanked David for the advice who nodded and said "Your welcome".

**Hermione always liked to go through their exam papers afterward,**

David made an exasperated sound and his wife spoke to their daughter "Hermione dear that might be a good thing to do but it may annoy others when they want to relax a bit and unwind from the tension and stress of the Exam's and it is only making you more ignored by the other pupil's if you do things like that and I know that you enjoy school work but you do need to do something else to get your interest and no Book's do not count, why don't you try another creative activity like art or music as that can make you relax more and be not so stressed out all the time" Hermione nodded blushing a bit at how over the top she was acting in this book and promised herself to take her mother's advice to heart and thinks to herself _"I did enjoy playing the violin in Music class in school but I did have to give it up because the class was canceled due to school shortage of fund's a year or two ago" _She nod's to herself and also promises to try and buy a Violin for her birthday or Christmas.

**but Ron said this made him feel ill,**

Hermione's mother gave her a look that said _"I told you so"._

**so they wandered down to the lake and flopped under a tree. The Weasley twins and Lee Jordan were tickling the tentacles of a giant squid,**

Nicolas chuckled at the mischievousness of the three second year boy's antics.

**which was basking in the warm shallows. "No more studying," Ron sighed happily,**

Hermione frowned at the boy as did her father who thought _"That better not be a gibe at my daughter or that boy is going to get a tanned hide from my boots"_. he finished thinking grumpily.

**stretching out on the grass. "You could look more cheerful, Harry, we've got a week before we find out how badly we've done, there's no need to worry yet." ****Harry was rubbing his forehead **"**I wish I knew what this means!" he burst out angrily. "My scar keeps hurting — it's happened before, but never as often as this."**

Snape and Nicolas shared a look while Perenell thinks _"I am going to get that scar checked as soon as we are done with all this book"_.

"**Go to Madam Pomfrey," Hermione suggested.**

"**I'm not ill," said Harry. "I think it's a warning… it means danger's coming…"**

Harry thinks to himself _"I hope it's not true and my scar is wrong"_ he wished that to be true but deep down he knew that is wasn't.

**Ron couldn't get worked up, it was too hot.**

"**Harry, relax, Hermione's right, the Stone's safe as long as Dumbledore's around. Anyway, we've never had any proof Snape found out how to get past Fluffy. He nearly had his leg ripped off once, he's not going to try it again in a hurry. And Neville will play Quidditch for England before Hagrid lets Dumbledore down."**

Neville reacted to this by frowning and thinking_ "That's not a nice thing to say, I mean I've never even gotten on a broom before so how can I not have a chance to be good at quidditch and the flying lesson in the book show's that I was just nervous and the broom reacted to my emotional state at that point in time causing it to act wonky and make me have that accident and if I was calmer I would have been fine"_.

**Harry nodded, but he couldn't shake off a lurking feeling that there was something he'd forgotten to do, something important. When he tried to explain this, Hermione said, "That's just the exams. I woke up last night and was halfway through my Transfiguration notes before I remembered we'd done that one."**

Hermione blushed at the chuckles coming from her parent's but still listened to the chapter.

**Harry was quite sure the unsettled feeling didn't have anything to do with work, though.**

Harry wondered what his book-self had been thinking.

****He watched an owl flutter toward the school across the bright blue sky, a note clamped in its mouth.****

Nicolas and Snape shared a look with each other at the mentioning of the letter and both thought _"This must be relevant to something in the book for later if it was mentioned" _they nodded to each other and promised to keep an eye out for the relation to this letter and the book.

**Hagrid was the only one who ever sent him letters. Hagrid would never betray Dumbledore. Hagrid would never tell anyone how to get past Fluffy… never… but…**

Harry looked up in shock as he figured something out but covered it up so the other's would not notice except for Snape who caught the movement and thought to himself what it meant and he was beginning to get an idea of what it was about but he kept patient and waited for the others to figure it out as he covered his shock up with his relaxation techniques by clearing his mind.

**Harry suddenly jumped to his feet.**

"**Where're you going?" said Ron sleepily.**

"**I've just thought of something," said Harry. He had turned white. "We've got to go and see Hagrid, now."**

The others looked confused about this and so they listened further to book-Harry's word's.

"**Why?" panted Hermione, hurrying to keep up.**

"**Don't you think it's a bit odd," said Harry, scrambling up the grassy slope, "that what Hagrid wants more than anything else is a dragon, and a stranger turns up who just happens to have an egg in his pocket?**

The others looked at each other in shock as they each slowly came up with their conclusion's about the dragon and Hagrid.

**How many people wander around with dragon eggs if it's against wizard law? Lucky they found Hagrid, don't you think? Why didn't I see it before?"**

Everyone was silent for a moment as David spoke what was on all their mind's "Oh My God".

"**What are you talking about?" said Ron, but Harry, sprinting across the grounds toward the forest, didn't answer. ****Hagrid was sitting in an armchair outside his house; his trousers and sleeves were rolled up, and he was shelling peas into a large bowl **"**Hullo," he said, smiling. "Finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?"** **"Yes, please," said Ron, but Harry cut him off. ****"No, we're in a hurry. Hagrid, I've got to ask you something. You know that night you won Norbert? What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?" ****"Dunno," said Hagrid casually, "he wouldn' take his cloak off."**

Everyone gives each other a worried look at this.

**He saw the three of them look stunned and raised his eyebrows. **"**It's not that unusual, **yeh get a lot o' funny folk in the Hog's Head — that's one of the pub down in the village. Mighta bin a dragon dealer, mightn' he? I never saw his face, he kept his hood up."****

Everyone had a confused look upon their faces at this.

Nicolas speaks to the confused children and Mundane people while the other adults who are magical understand what Hagrid meant about it not being unusual "The Hog's head is a very shady and dirty pub that can be full of thieves and regular crooks but it is surprisingly run by Albus's brother Aberworth Dumbledore who I believe is very tough and can deal with any roughhousing in his pub but I think that Hagrid must go there because the prices for drinks and food is very cheap for him and Hagrid must not get much of a salary for being game/key-keeper of the school and grounds"

**Harry sank down next to the bowl of peas. "What did you talk to him about, Hagrid? Did you mention Hogwarts at all?"** **"Mighta come up,"**

Augusta groaned but kept reading.

**said Hagrid, frowning as he tried to remember. "Yeah… he asked what I did, an' I told him I was gamekeeper here… He asked a bit about the sorta creatures I took after… so I told him… an' I said what I'd always really wanted was a dragon… an' then… I can' remember too well, 'cause he kept buyin' me drinks…**

Snape shook his head and thought _"This must have been how The dark lord had done it to get information by getting Hagrid drunk and less resilient to keeping his secrets"_

**Let's see… yeah, then he said he had the dragon egg an' we could play cards fer it if I wanted… but he had ter be sure I could handle it, he didn' want it ter go ter any old home… So I told him, after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy…" "And did he — did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Harry asked, trying to keep his voice calm. "Well — yeah — how many three-headed dogs d'yeh meet, even around Hogwarts? So I told him, Fluffy's a piece o' cake if yeh know how to calm him down, jus' play him a bit o' music an' he'll go straight off ter sleep —"**

Jean thought shocked _"That can't be good at all"_

**Hagrid suddenly looked horrified. "I shouldn'ta told yeh that!" he blurted out. "Forget I said it! Hey — where're yeh goin'?" Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn't speak to each other at all until they came to a halt in the entrance hall, which seemed very cold and gloomy after the grounds. "We've got to go to Dumbledore," said Harry.**

Hermione thought so herself "_finally we can get this mess sorted but with this title of chapter it is still worrying"_.

**"Hagrid told that stranger how to get past Fluffy, and it was either Snape or Voldemort under that cloak — it must've been easy, once he'd got Hagrid drunk. I just hope Dumbledore believes us.**

Nicolas thought to himself _"Unless he already knew as Albus can be told by the portraits who report to him daily so he can keep up with the school and Albus will w__ant to be made aware of strange happenings in his school"_.

**Firenze might back us up if Bane doesn't stop him. Where's Dumbledore's office?" **They looked around, as if hoping to see a sign pointing them in the right direction. They had never been told where Dumbledore lived, nor did they know anyone who had been sent to see him.****

Augusta frowned at this as she remembered her time as a student and being in Hufflepuff with the prefects telling us about the rooms that should be remembered one of them being the headmasters office if their was an emergency and a student needed to see them plus it was a mandatory rule that all prefects and head students should direct and tell the first year's about the room's were classes were and the teachers offices were as she remembered being the Hufflepuff prefect in her fourth year and how the rules were the same for all prefects no matter what house as she remembered the prefects meeting's and how the books that they were given were the same book with the same title _"Rules and Regulation's of a Hogwarts Prefect"_ and as she think's on it she comes to a conclusion _"The Gryffindor Prefects must have forgotten or not bothered with even following the guidelines and just made to be prefects because of the perks like the private bathroom's and later curfew I will have to see if I can make the prefects follow the rules with some new rules that I will have to make for the school in the Board of Governor's meeting later in the week". _

"**We'll just have to —" Harry began, but a voice suddenly rang across the hall. **"**What are you three doing inside?" ****It was Professor McGonagall,**

David spoke aloud "Maybe she can help them?" Snape nodded but he was having doubts about Minerva so far as he knew that she could be too pigheaded and hot tempered about certain things from what he could see shown in the last chapter.

**carrying a large pile of books. **

"**We want to see Professor Dumbledore," said Hermione, rather bravely, Harry and Ron thought.**

"**See Professor Dumbledore?" Professor McGonagall repeated, as though this was a very fishy thing to want to do. "Why?" ****Harry swallowed — now what? **"**It's sort of secret,"**

Snape groaned and said to Harry "You should not have said that to her as it will make her more unbelieving towards you, you could also have told her something else that would have been more believing of your story and when you got to the headmaster you would have more of a chance for her to believe your problem with the stone but what you should have told her was that you had a personal problem that only the headmaster could solve like something about your parents and how some things about them and she would have been more believing of you as she will probably know that you wish to learn more about your father's side of the family and that the headmaster would know a lot about them along with Minerva who I know had a soft spot for your father and was her favorite pupil in transfiguration and would enjoy telling you about your parent's" Harry was thoughtful on this as it did sound more believable to hear and it would help in their plan to keep the stone safe.

**he said, ****but he wished at once he hadn't, because Professor McGonagall's nostrils flared.**

Snape looked at Harry as if saying _"See what I mean?" _Harry nodded in agreement

"**Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago," she said coldly. "He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once."**

Nicolas raised his eyebrow at this as it did sound like the owl mentioned a few moments a go.

**"He's gone?" said Harry frantically. "Now?" "Professor Dumbledore is a very great wizard, Potter, he has many demands on his time – " "But this is important." "Something you have to say is more important than the Ministry of Magic, Potter?"**

Harry nodded to himself and thought _"More Important than that"._

**"**Look," said Harry, throwing caution to the winds, "Professor — it's about the Philosopher's Stone —"****

Snape thought to himself chuckling _"That'll get her attention"_.

****Whatever Professor McGonagall had expected, it wasn't that. The books she was carrying tumbled out of her arms, but she didn't pick them up.****

Snape thought again amused_ "I wonder what Madam Pince would do if she saw that"_

"**How do you know —?" she spluttered. **"**Professor, I think — I know — that Sn— that someone's going to try and steal the Stone. I've got to talk to Professor Dumbledore." ****She eyed him with a mixture of shock and suspicion. **"**Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow," **she said finally. "I don't know how you found out about the Stone, but rest assured, no one can possibly steal it, it's too well protected."****

Snape spoke to the children "It seems that Minerva is being too stubborn but she might believe you if you have more evidence or can do something that will shock her again and stop her from interrupting you two in the book and once she has listened to your side of the story then you may have a chance of having her help you stop the stone from being taken".

"**But Professor —"**

"**Potter, I know what I'm talking about," she said shortly. She bent down and gathered up the fallen books. "I suggest you all go back outside and enjoy the sunshine."**

**But they didn't.**

Perenell rolled her eyes and thought _"of course they didn't"_.

"**It's tonight," said Harry, once he was sure Professor McGonagall was out of earshot. "Snape's going through the trapdoor tonight. He's found out everything he needs, and now he's got Dumbledore out of the way. He sent that note, I bet the Ministry of Magic will get a real shock when Dumbledore turns up."**

Snape shook his head and said to Harry "It will not be that weird as the headmaster does go to the ministry from time to time to deal with his other title's and job's as the headmaster is the head and judge of the British magical government that decides on decree's and new or old laws that need revised and changed and no it is not the ministry that is the government, the ministry is merely the institution that carries out and follow's/enforces the decree's and laws so it may be not so unusual but I would say that it may not work as the headmaster only goes to the Wizamgott which is what the British government is called when he is called for a planned meeting usually during the summer holiday's or near the end of it" Harry nods in thanks for the answered question.

"**But what can we —" ****Hermione gasped. Harry and Ron wheeled round. ****Snape was standing there. **"**Good afternoon," he said smoothly. ****They stared at him. **"**You shouldn't be inside on a day like this," he said, with an odd, twisted smile.**

The real Snape frowned at his attitude and wondered if his book-self knew what they were talking about but was probably seeing a reason to punish the three student's for some reason.

"**We were —" Harry began, without any idea what he was going to say. **"**You want to be more careful," said Snape. "Hanging around like this, people will think you're up to something. And Gryffindor really can't afford to lose any more points, can it?" ****Harry flushed. They turned to go outside, but Snape called them back. **"**Be warned, Potter — any more nighttime wanderings and I will personally make sure you are expelled.**

Snape was annoyed at how petty and stupid his book-self was being but he sent an apologetic look to Harry who returned his apology with a nod.

**He strode off in the direction of the staff-room. ****Out on the stone steps, Harry turned to the others.**"**Right, here's what we've got to do," he whispered urgently. "One of us has got to keep an eye on Snape — wait outside the staff room and follow him if he leaves it. Hermione, you'd better do that."**

Hermione looked confused as to why it would be her but continued listening to the reason why.

"**Why me?" ****"****It's obvious," said Ron. "You can pretend to be waiting for Professor Flitwick, you know." ****He put on a high voice, "'Oh Professor Flitwick, I'm so worried, I think I got question fourteen b wrong… '"**

Hermione looked very annoyed at this as some of the others chuckled at this minus her father who looked very steamed at the jibe his daughter was given by the insolent prat.

"**Oh, shut up," said Hermione, but she agreed to go and watch out for Snape. **"**And we'd better stay outside the third-floor corridor," Harry told Ron. "Come on." ****But that part of the plan didn't work. No sooner had they reached the door separating Fluffy from the rest of the school than Professor McGonagall turned up again and this time, she lost her temper.**

Snape shook his head and thought _"There in for it now"_. But Harry was wondering why he did not just use the cloak to escape the professor's ire and watchful eyes?.

"**I suppose you think you're harder to get past than a pack of enchantments!" she stormed. "Enough of this nonsense! If I hear you've come anywhere near here again, I'll take another fifty points from Gryffindor! Yes, Weasley, from my own house!" ****Harry and Ron went back to the common room, Harry had just said, "At least Hermione's on Snape's tail," when the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open and Hermione came in.**

The others looked confused at this but kept silent and let Augusta read.

"**I'm sorry, Harry!" she wailed. "Snape came out and asked me what I was doing, so I said I was waiting for Flitwick, and Snape went to get him, and I've only just got away, I don't know where Snape went." **"**Well, that's it then, isn't it?" Harry said. ****The other two stared at him. He was pale and his eyes were glittering.**

Snape looked wistful as he remembered that look on Lily when he was friend's with her when she had her sight's set on something but was scared of doing it. The other adults all groaned at how Harry would be probably try to get the stone himself while Harry himself looked sheepish.

"**I'm going out of here tonight and I'm going to try and get to the Stone first." "**You're mad!" said Ron. ****"**You can't!" said Hermione. "After what McGonagall and Snape have said? You'll be expelled!" **"**SO WHAT" Harry shouted.**

Everyone jumped at the loud noise and all looked at a mischievous Augusta who and said "what It was in captions so you have to shout" she smiled innocently at the glares she got from the annoyed adults but Neville had a gobsmacked look on his face but covered it up and wondered what was wrong with his gran but paid attention when said grandparent started reading again.

**"Don't you understand? If Snape gets hold of the Stone, Voldemort's coming back! Haven't you heard what it was like when he was trying to take over? There won't be any Hogwarts to get expelled from! He'll flatten it, or turn it into a school for the Dark Arts! Losing points doesn't matter anymore, can't you see? D'you think he'll leave you and your families alone if Gryffindor wins the house cup? If I get caught before I can get to the Stone, well, I'll have to go back to the Dursleys and wait for Voldemort to find me there, it's only dying a bit later than I would have, because I'm never going over to the Dark Side!**

Nicolas and Perenell looked proud at their soon to be nephew/charge which was returned with a happy smile.

**I'm going through that trapdoor tonight and nothing you two say is going to stop me! Voldemort killed my parents, remember?" ****He glared at them. **"**You're right Harry," said Hermione in a small voice. **"**I'll use the invisibility cloak," said Harry. "It's just lucky I got it back."**

Snape looked thoughtful as he thinks on the timing of the cloak being returned by Albus and the attempted stealing of the stone and Harry's involvment in stopping the thief.

"**But will it cover all three of us?" said Ron. **"**All — all three of us?" "**Oh, come off it, you don't think we'd let you go alone?"****

Hermione looked annoyed as did Neville which Harry looked questioningly about as he asked "What?" Hermione narrowed her eyes further but then she looked very happy and spoke in a sweet and innocent tone that Harry could tell would bring pain following it if he did not answer right "Oh Harry, why did you say that YOU would be doing it yourself and not with me?" she asked very nicely but there was an undertone of fury directed toward's Harry who answered back nervously "W..ell I..I...m Sorry Hermione I probably was not used to being backed up and be given help not with how I was raised when no one would help me when I was bullied by my cousin and other relatives" Hermione calmed down at the admission but was still very frustrated with how noble Harry was being about facing danger by himself so she just nodded and kept quite as they all continued to listen to the story.

**"Of course not," said Hermione briskly. "How do you think you'd get to the Stone without us? I'd better go and look through my books, there might be something useful…" "But if we get caught, you two will be expelled, too." "Not if I can help it," said Hermione grimly. "Flitwick told me in secret that I got a hundred and twelve percent on his exam. They're not throwing me out after that."**

Snape and Perenell looked impressed and Nicolas said to Hermione "My dear that is quite an achievement for a first year as I had only heard of one student who was very close to your score" Hermione looked curious and asked "Who was it sir and how much did they get?" Snape answered this time but with a wistful smile on his face "It was Lily Evan's, Harry's mother who got one hundred and ten percent on her first year exam" he was smiling slightly at the look of happiness he remembered on Lily's face when she had gotten her score announced but snapped out of it at Hermione's exclamation of shock as she gasped in wonder of being this smart in her exam's and of how intelligent Harry's mother must have been, Hermione's parents felt very proud of her achievement but Augusta cut the festive mood short by reading again from the chapter.

****After dinner the three of them sat nervously apart in the common room. Nobody bothered them; none of the Gryffindors had anything to say to Harry any more, after all. This was the first night he hadn't been upset by it.****

Everyone looked confused at the wording of this but continued on listening to the chapter.

**Hermione was skimming through all her notes, hoping to come across one of the enchantments they were about to try to break. Harry and Ron didn't talk much. Both of them were thinking about what they were about to do. Slowly, the room emptied as people drifted off to bed. "Better get the cloak," Ron muttered, as Lee Jordan finally left, stretching and yawning. Harry ran upstairs to their dark dormitory. He pulled out the cloak and then his eyes fell on the flute Hagrid had given him for Christmas. He pocketed it to use on Fluffy — he didn't feel much like singing.**

Harry blushed at the looks of mirth and amusement he got from his friend's and the other adults but they all continued listening to the story.

**He ran back down to the common room. "We'd better put the cloak on here, and make sure it covers all three of us – if Filch spots one of our feet wandering along on its own —" "What are you doing?" said a voice from the corner of the room.**

The group were curious at who it could be.

**Neville **appeared from behind an armchair, clutching Trevor the toad,****

The real Neville was nervous about what he may be doing there and what would happen to his book-self.

**who looked as though he'd been making another bid for freedom. **"**Nothing, Neville, nothing," said Harry, hurriedly putting the cloak behind his back. ****Neville stared at their guilty faces. **"**You're going out again," he said. **"**No, no, no," said Hermione. "No, we're not. Why don't you go to bed, Neville?" ****Harry looked at the grandfather clock by the door. They couldn't afford to waste any more time, Snape might even now be playing Fluffy to sleep.**

Snape grimaced again at his accusing of being the villain in this book.

**"You can't go out," said Neville, "you'll be caught again. Gryffindor will be in even more trouble." "You don't understand," said Harry, "this is important." But Neville was clearly steeling himself to do something desperate. "I won't let you do it," he said, hurrying to stand in front of the portrait hole. "I'll — I'll fight you!"**

The group were a bit stunned at this as it was very brave to stand against your own friend's when they could be doing something dangerous again that may endanger their lives but they all continued listening to the chapter.

"**Neville, "Ron exploded, "get away from that hole and don't be an idiot —"**

The real Neville looked very annoyed and shouted "HEY I am not an IDIOT" David agreed and was fuming at the red-haired boy for his lack of tact and brain's while Augusta was a little angry at how the Weasley child offended his grandson and made herself promise to have words with Molly Weasley, the boy's mother about her lack of attention** (A/N:**** yeah she can talk)** and strictness on her youngest son she was giving to him.

"**Don't you call me an idiot!" said Neville. "I don't think you should be breaking any more rules! And you were the one who told me to stand up to people!"** "**Yes, but not to us," said Ron in exasperation. "Neville, you don't know what you're doing."****He took a step forward and Neville dropped Trevor the toad, who leapt out of sight.**"**Go on then, try and hit me!" said Neville, raising his fists. "I'm ready!"**

Both Harry and Hermione said together to Neville "We would never want to harm you and if we did it would be unintentional for us to do so" Neville Nodded in gratitude and they continued reading.

**Harry turned to Hermione **"**Do something," he said desperately ****Hermione then stepped forward.**

Hermione smiled at how she was being relied on by her friends in a tight situation.

**Hermione stepped forward **"**Neville," she said, "I'm really, really sorry about this." ****She raised her wand.**

Augusta looked surprised at this but she now knew that the girl would not harm her grandson, the girl would probably just stop him from halting the three children's task so she continued reading.

"**Petrificus Totalus!" ****she cried, pointing it at Neville, N****eville's arms snapped to his sides. His legs sprang together. His whole body rigid, he swayed where he stood and then fell flat on his face, stiff as a board.**

Neville rubbed his nose absentmindedly at his possible future injury and he could have broken his nose from the fall.

**Hermione ran to turn him over Neville's jaws were jammed together so he couldn't speak. Only his eyes were moving, looking at them in horror "What've you done to him?" Harry whispered."It's the full Body-Bind," said Hermione miserably. "Oh, Neville, I'm so sorry.""We had to, Neville, no time to explain," said Harry."You'll understand later, Neville," said Ron as they stepped over him **and pulled on the invisibility cloak.****

Neville looked annoyed at the idiot's lack of care for his predicament as did David but they both kept quiet and continued listening in on the story.

**But leaving Neville lying motionless on the floor didn't feel like a very good omen. In their nervous state, every statue's shadow looked like Filch, every distant breath of wind sounded like Peeves swooping down on them. At the foot of the first set of stairs, they spotted Mrs. Norris skulking near the top. "Oh, let's kick her, just this once,"**

The group chuckled at this especially Snape who remembered a certain group of pranksters who had spelled that cat to be stuck to a ceiling and placed on a silencing charm and the only way to get her down was to shoot the cat's behind with a stinging hex, as he knew that Lucius had unfortunately done so and ended up with small scars on his forehead from Mrs Norris who had landed on top of the now senior Malfoy very annoyed and frustrated at being stung, left upside down and made Lucius have scar's on him from the cat for a month before he had them removed by a potion from Poppy at the time as the potion that was needed for the vanishing of the scar's had took a while to make so he knew that Lucius had placed glamours on himself until he was able to have the potion but he was the only one who knew of the scar's and incident as he had found Lucius soon afterwards he was attacked by the cat and had blooded claw marks all around him and he was the one to take Lucius to Poppy for healing. He also knew that to that day whenever he himself saw Lucius get near a cat his left eye would twitch ever so slightly and he would check his head for reappearing scar's which always made him laugh in his mind whenever he saw him do it.

**Ron whispered in Harry's ear, but Harry shook his head. As they climbed carefully around her, Mrs. Norris turned her lamplike eyes on them, but didn't do anything.**

Harry looked confused and said "How did she know that we were there?" Nicolas turned and answered Harry "Mrs Norris may be part kneazle which is a magical breed of cat's that are emphatic and can sense magic nearby which is how the cat could sense you three under the cloak by your cloak or wand's or she may have been able to smell you nearby as Kneazle's have heightened senses that normal cat's and would have been able to smell you three from quite a distance but I believe that she did not stop you three was because by the time that Mrs Norris would have alerted Filch you three would have been long gone from where you were" Harry nodded in thank's for the answer and continued listening to the chapter while Hermione looked excited at the knowledge of there being a magical type of cat's with those kind's of power's and hoped that she would get one in the future.

**They didn't meet anyone else until they reached the staircase up to the third floor. Peeves was bobbing halfway up, loosening the carpet so that people would trip."Who's there?" he said suddenly as they climbed toward him. He narrowed his wicked black eyes. "Know you're there, even if I can't see you. Are you ghoulie or ghostie or wee student beastie?"He rose up in the air and floated there, squinting at them."Should call Filch, I should, if something's a-creeping around unseen."**

Snape shook his head and hoped that the three could escape from being caught by that poltergeist.

**Harry had a sudden idea. **"**Peeves," he said, in a hoarse whisper, "the Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible."**

The adult's all looked at Harry in amazement but hurriedly listened to more as Augusta continued reading.

**Peeves almost fell out of the air in shock. ****He caught himself in time and hovered about a foot off the stairs.**"**So sorry, your bloodiness, Mr. Baron, Sir," he said greasily. "My mistake, my mistake — I didn't see you — of course I didn't, you're invisible — forgive old Peevsie his little joke, sir."**"**I have business here, Peeves," croaked Harry. "Stay away from this place tonight."**"**I will, sir, I most certainly will," said Peeves, rising up in the air again. "Hope your business goes well, Baron, I'll not bother you"a****nd he scooted off. **"**Brilliant, Harry!" whispered Ron.**

Everyone agreed with the young Weasley boy as The Flamel's were looking at Harry with pride and the other's were looking at a blushing Harry in amazement of how quick and smart an idea the boy came up with as Snape think's to himself _" Harry would make a great Slytherin or an excellent Ravenclaw with some encouragement from his new guardian's as that idea was smart but very sly to use"_.

**A few seconds later, they were there, outside the third-floor corridor — and the door was already ajar.**

Everyone kept quiet but each thought the same thing _"The thief is already there after the stone"_.

**"Well, there you are," Harry said quietly, "Snape's already got past Fluffy."Seeing the open door somehow seemed to impress upon all three of them what was facing them. Underneath the cloak, Harry turned to the other two"If you want to go back, I won't blame you," he said. "You can take the cloak, I won't need it now." "Don't be stupid," said Ron. "We're coming," said Hermione.**

Hermione nodded in agreement with her book-self but was still annoyed with Harry's noble independent streak.

**Harry pushed the door open.****As the door creaked, low, rumbling growls met their ears. All three of the dog's noses sniffed madly in their direction, even though it couldn't see them.**"**What's that at its feet?" Hermione whispered.**"**Looks like a harp," said Ron. "Snape must have left it there."**"**It must wake up the moment you stop playing,"**

Snape shook his head and said to the children "I would never play the Harp, I prefer to play the cello if I am playing an instrument as I used to play before I went to Hogwarts" the children nodded at the piece of information but Neville was wondering to himself _"I wonder if he would teach me how to play the cello"._

**said Harry. "Well, here goes…" He put Hagrid's flute to his lips and blew, it wasn't really a tune, but from the first note the beast's eyes began to droop. Harry hardly drew breath, slowly, the dog's growls ceased — it tottered on its paws and fell to its knees, then it slumped to the ground, fast asleep. "Keep playing," Ron warned Harry as they slipped out of the cloak and crept toward the trapdoor. They could feel the dog's hot, smelly breath as they approached the giant heads.**

Jean wrinkled her nose at this as she remembered why she did not like dog's for there horrible breath.

**"I think we'll be able to pull the door open," said Ron, peering over the dog's back. "Want to go first, Hermione?"**

David shook his head and thought _"Cowardly that idiot of a boy is"_.

**"No, I don't!"**

Hermione shook her head as she knew that her book-self was only acting indignant over being treated as if she was weak and beneath the red haired boy by accepting the answer. **_(A/N: I know it makes not much sense but am struggling with my daily writer's block which has caused my story to be not quite finished yet and I need more time to complete the entire fic as I may make this fic have 20 chapters or 19 depending on my ideas which separate from the upcoming changes to Harry's life on whether or not He is able to have Harry as there charge and the old man Dumbles meddling's in all of this.)_**

**"All right." Ron gritted his teeth and stepped carefully over the dog's legs. He bent and pulled the ring of the trapdoor, which swung up and open."What can you see?" Hermione said anxiously, "Nothing — just black — there's no way of climbing down, we'll just have to drop."**

Snape shook his head and said "You could have used the lumos spell and pointed it inside the hole as it is a first year charm's spell and with the three of you pointing inside the hole you would have been able to see down the hole or you might be able to light a fire and set it on a spare piece of clothing that you do not need like a sock or your outer robe and thrown it down the hole, I believe that Miss Granger would be able to do so as she has the most proficiency with that kind of spell" the children all nodded and Harry noted down on the notebook he had to try and see thing's from a different angle and see what would happen if they changed a plan a bit.

**Harry, who was still playing the flute, waved at Ron to get his attention and pointed at himself **"**You want to go first? Are you sure?" said Ron. "I don't know how deep this thing goes. Give the flute to Hermione so she can keep him asleep. "****Harry handed the flute over. In the few seconds' silence, the dog growled and twitched, but the moment Hermione began to play, it fell back into its deep sleep. ****Harry climbed over it and looked down through the trapdoor. There was no sign of the bottom. ****He lowered himself through the hole until he was hanging on by his fingertips. Then he looked up at Ron and said, "If anything happens to me, don't follow. Go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, right?"**

Snape shook his head as he felt that was not needed but did not know why.

"**Right," said Ron. **"**See you in a minute, I hope…" a**nd Harry let go.****

Perenell held onto Harry worriedly at the danger's that he and the other children may face.

**Cold, damp air rushed past him as he fell down, down, down and — ****FLUMP. With a funny, muffled sort of thump he landed on something soft. He sat up and felt around, his eyes not used to the gloom. It felt as though he was sitting on some sort of plant.**

Neville was nervous as he knew some deadly plant's that could be used for the protection of secret item's. While David was amused at the word used for the landing that book-Harry had.

**"It's okay!" he called up to the light the size of a postage stamp, which was the open trapdoor, "it's a soft landing, you can jump!" Ron followed right away. He landed, sprawled next to Harry. "What's this stuff?" were his first words. "Dunno, some sort of plant thing. I suppose it's here to break the fall.**

Harry blushed under the exasperated look's from the adult's as he himself thought _"How is a plant that is supposed to protect a powerful artifact be used to help a thief from injuring __themselves?, why am I acting so clueless in this book?, it is as if my intelligence was lowered by a marginal degree and I'm acting like a moron for not seeing these things as they really are" _Harry promised to ask his new aunt and uncle about this problem as soon as the book was finished.

**Come on, Hermione!" The distant music stopped. There was a loud bark from the dog, but Hermione had already jumped. She landed on Harry's other side. "We must be miles under the school," she said. "Lucky this plant thing's here, really," said Ron. "Lucky!" shrieked Hermione. "Look at you both!"**

The adult's tensed with worry for what was happening.

**She leapt up and struggled toward a damp wall. She had to struggle because the moment she had landed, the plant had started to twist snakelike tendrils around her ankles. As for Harry and Ron, their legs had already been bound tightly in long creepers without their noticing.**

"Devil Snare," gasped Neville and Snape answered for the confused but frightened children "This plant is very dangerous as it has a mind of it's own and can strangle its victim's very fast if you are panicking and not relaxing at all as it can sense your fear and anxiety which makes it strangle you harder, but you can escape it if you create a very bright light or hot flame as devil's snare thrives in very dark and damp places and it can be destroyed by bright or hot item's" the children nodded and hoped that they would be ok as did the rest of the group but they all continued to listen to the chapter.

**Hermione had managed to free herself before the plant got a firm grip on her. Now she watched in horror as the two boys fought to pull the plant off them, but the more they strained against it, the tighter and faster the plant wound around them "**Stop moving!" Hermione ordered them. "I know what this is — it's Devil's Snare!" "**Oh, I'm so glad we know what it's called, that's a great help," snarled Ron, leaning back, trying to stop the plant from curling around his neck.******

David and Hermione frowned as they both knew that she was only trying to help them.

**"Shut up, I'm trying to remember how to kill it!" said Hermione.**

David smirked at the way his daughter dealt with the rude idiotic boy and his wining.

**"Well, hurry up, I can't breathe!" Harry gasped, wrestling with it as it curled around his chest.**

Harry was being held onto tightly by Perenell who was shaking a little at the danger's her nephew was facing.

**"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare… what did Professor Sprout say? — it likes the dark and the damp.""So light a fire!" Harry choked."Yes — of course — but there's no wood!"**

At that last word there was silence until David and Snape were bawling with laughter at how ridiculous it sounded and how Hermione was blushing like a red traffic light at how silly she was being for forgetting that she could do magic and how she had conjured fire so many time's before in the book but Jean gave a look to both laughing men who both shut up at the sight of the look as Snape think's _"That was the look I used to get from Lily when I had misbehaved" _he finished his thought's wistfully but David thought something different _"I'm sleeping on the couch for a week when I get home for that"_.

**Hermione cried, wringing her hands. "HAVE YOU GONE MAD?" Ron bellowed. "ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"**

**"**Oh, right!" said Hermione, and she whipped out her wand, waved it, muttered something, and sent a jet of the same bluebell flames she had used on Snape at the plant. In a matter of seconds, the two boys felt it loosening its grip as it cringed away from the light and warmth. Wriggling and flailing, it unraveled itself from their bodies, and they were able to pull free.****

Everyone sighed in relief at the danger being over but prepared for the next trial ahead.

**"Lucky you pay attention in Herbology, Hermione," said Harry as he joined her by the wall, wiping sweat off his face. "Yeah," said Ron, "and lucky Harry doesn't lose his head in a crisis — 'there's no wood,' honestly."**

Hermione blushed again at her lack of wisdom but was glaring slightly at the book for the jab at her by that rude prat.

**"This way," said Harry, pointing down a stone passageway, which was the only way forward. All they could hear apart from their footsteps was the gentle drip of water trickling down the walls. The passageway sloped downward, and Harry was reminded of Gringotts. With an unpleasant jolt of the heart, he remembered the dragons said to be guarding vaults in the wizards' bank. If they met a dragon, a fully-grown dragon — Norbert had been bad enough…**

The adult's hoped that it wasn't another dragon also.

**"Can you hear something?" Ron whispered. Harry listened. A soft rustling and clinking seemed to be coming from up ahead. "Do you think it's a ghost?"**

Snape shook his head and thought _"A ghost no but a ghoul maybe"_

"**I don't know… sounds like wings to me."**

The adult's tensed and hoped that it wasn't something large they were facing.

**"There's light ahead — I can see something moving."They reached the end of the passageway and saw before them a brilliantly lit chamber, its ceiling arching high above them. It was full of small, jewel-bright birds, fluttering and tumbling all around the room. On the opposite side of the chamber was a heavy wooden door."Do you think they'll attack us if we cross the room?" said Ron.**

Harry thought to himself _"I hope not"_

**"Probably," said Harry. "They don't look very vicious, but I suppose if they all swooped down at once… well, there's no other choice… I'll run." He took a deep breath, covered his face with his arms, and sprinted across the room. He expected to feel sharp beaks and claws tearing at him any second, but nothing happened. He reached the door untouched. He pulled the handle, but it was locked.**

Nicolas shook his head as he knew that it would not be that easy.

**The other two followed him. They tugged and heaved at the door, but it wouldn't budge, not even when Hermione tried her Alohomora charm."Now what?" said Ron."These birds… they can't be here just for decoration," said Hermione. They watched the birds soaring overhead, glittering —glittering?**

Jean had a sudden idea of what the strange so called bird's were.

**"They're not birds!" Harry said suddenly. "They're keys! Winged keys — look carefully. So that must mean…" he looked around the chamber while the other two squinted up at the flock of keys. "… yes — look! Broomsticks! We've got to catch the key to the door!" "But there are hundreds of them!" Ron examined the lock on the door. "We're looking for a big, old-fashioned one — probably silver, like the handle."**

Nicolas nodded in acceptance for the deduction skill's of the young Weasley male.

**They each seized a broomstick and kicked off into the air, soaring into the midst of the cloud of keys. They grabbed and snatched, but the bewitched keys darted and dived so quickly it was almost impossible to catch one. ****Not for nothing, though, was Harry the youngest Seeker in a century. He had a knack for spotting things other people didn't. After a minute's weaving about through the whirl of rainbow feathers, he noticed a large silver key that had a bent wing, **as if it had already been caught and stuffed roughly into the keyhole.****

Snape was suspicious at this as it seemed like the perfect task for a seeker like Harry and it was almost as if it was...,but no it couldn't be like that, couldn't it he paused in his suspicion's as he contemplated the possibility of all of this being a test for Harry.

**"That one!" he called to the others. "That big one — there — no, there — with bright blue wings — the feathers are all crumpled on one side." Ron went speeding in the direction that Harry was pointing, crashed into the ceiling, and nearly fell off his broom.**

David's mouth twitched at this as he was clearly amused at the boy's stupid way of catching the key.

**"We've got to close in on it!" Harry called, not taking his eyes off the key with the damaged wing. "Ron, you come at it from above — Hermione, stay below and stop it from going down and I'll try and catch it. Right, NOW!" Ron dived, Hermione rocketed upward, the key dodged them both, and Harry streaked after it; it sped toward the wall, Harry leaned forward and with a nasty, crunching noise, pinned it against the stone with one hand.**

Snape gave a nod of approval at this planning as it showed how much of a good leader Harry could be in tough situation's.

**Ron and Hermione's cheers echoed around the high chamber.**

**They landed quickly, and Harry ran to the door, the key struggling in his hand. He rammed it into the lock and turned – it worked. The moment the lock had clicked open, the key took flight again, looking very battered now that it had been caught twice. "Ready?" Harry asked the other two, his hand on the door handle. They nodded. He pulled the door open. The next chamber was so dark they couldn't see anything at all.**

The adult's and children looked worried at what was next.

**But as they stepped into it, light suddenly flooded the room to reveal an astonishing sight. **They were standing on the edge of a huge chessboard, **behind the black chessmen, which were all taller than they were and carved from what looked like black stone. Facing them, way across the chamber, were the white pieces. Harry, Ron and Hermione shivered slightly – the towering white chessmen had no faces.** ****

The children shivered at that as it did seem intimidating to think about facing a blank no-faced enemy.

**"Now what do we do?" Harry whispered. "It's obvious, isn't it?" said Ron. "We've got to play our way across the room."**

Snape shook his head and said "You could have used the broom's from the previous task and just flown over the chessboard without having to deal with the magical chess game" the children were amazed at this as they were sure that they would not have thought of that.

**Behind the white pieces they could see another door. "How?" said Hermione nervously. "I think," said Ron, "we're going to have to be chessmen. "He walked up to a black knight and put his hand out to touch the knight's horse. At once, the stone sprang to life. The horse pawed the ground and the knight turned his helmeted head to look down at Ron. "Do we — er — have to join you to get across?" The black knight nodded.**

**Ron turned to the other two. "This needs thinking about…" he said. "I suppose we've got to take the place of three of the black pieces…" Harry and Hermione stayed quiet, watching Ron think. Finally he said, "Now, don't be offended or anything, but neither of you are that good at chess —"**

Harry and Hermione shook their head at this but Harry hoped that his new uncle could teach him some chess moves so he could play better as he remembered on what Nicolas had told him about ignoring the distraction made by the chess pieces and to focus on the game at hand.

**"We're not offended," said Harry quickly. "Just tell us what to do." "Well, Harry, you take the place of that bishop, and Hermione, you go there instead of that castle.""What about you?" "I'm going to be a knight," said Ron.**

Snape inwardly sneered at this as he can see in his mind how snobbish the boy was acting about being a knight on a chess game as he himself knew that the queen was the most powerful piece on the chess board **_(A/N: THAT IS WHAT I THINK WHEN I PLAY CHESS)_**.

**The chessmen seemed to have been listening, because at these words a knight, a bishop, and a castle turned their backs on the white pieces and walked off the board, leaving three empty squares that Harry, Ron, and Hermione took. "White always plays first in chess," said Ron, peering across the board. "Yes… look…" A white pawn had moved forward two squares. **Ron started to direct the black pieces. They moved silently wherever he sent them. Harry's knees were trembling. What if they lost?****

"OW" Harry rubbed the back of his head and looked at Hermione in confusion and annoyance who had reached over and smacked the back of his head for some reason as Hermione answered his silent question of why she hit him while she had a stern look on her face "Stop thinking so negatively all the time, it is so annoying when you do that" Harry nodded sheepishly while still rubbing his head slightly and promised to stop being so negative about everything.

**"Harry — move diagonally four squares to the right." ****Their first real shock came when their other knight was taken. The white queen smashed him to the floor and dragged him off the board, where he lay quite still, facedown.**

The adult's were gobsmacked at what type of chess they were playing as this seemed like a dangerous task to be playing compared to the two previous one's and the children were scared at the danger that the book characters were facing in this task.

**"Had to let that happen," said Ron, looking shaken. "Leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione, go on." Every time one of their men was lost, the white pieces showed no mercy. Soon there was a huddle of limp black players slumped along the wall. Twice, Ron only just noticed in time that Harry and Hermione were in danger. He himself darted around the board, taking almost as many white pieces as they had lost black ones. "We're nearly there," he muttered suddenly. "Let me think — let me think…" The white queen turned her blank face toward him. "Yes…" said Ron softly, "It's the only way… I've got to be taken."**

The group were stunned silent at this as they had hoped that no one would be injured in this game but their prayer's were for naught but Snape was thinking to himself on how stupid the boy was being picking that particular piece and ending up being probably harmed by the stone chess pieces. Augusta shakily continued reading.

**"NO!" Harry and Hermione shouted. "That's chess!" snapped Ron. "You've got to make some sacrifices! I make my move and she'll take me — that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!" "But —" "Do you want to stop Snape or not?" "Ron —" "Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone!" There was no alternative.**

The group was silent as they could see that their wasn't another way to change what was about to happen so Augusta continued on.

**"Ready?" Ron called, his face pale but determined. "Here I go — now, don't hang around once you've won." He stepped forward, and the white queen pounced. She struck Ron hard across the head with her stone arm, and he crashed to the floor — **Hermione screamed but stayed on her square — the white queen dragged Ron to one side. He looked as if he'd been knocked out.****

David was conflicted as he did not really like the red haired boy but he did not want him to be harmed so badly.

**Shaking, Harry moved three spaces to the left.**

**The white king took off his crown and threw it at Harry's feet. They had won. The chessmen parted and bowed, leaving the door ahead clear. With one last desperate look back at Ron, Harry and Hermione charged through the door and up the next passageway. "What if he's —?" "He'll be all right," said Harry, trying to convince himself. "What do you reckon's next?" "We've had Sprout's, that was the Devil's Snare; Flitwick must've put charms on the keys; McGonagall transfigured the chessmen to make them alive; that leaves Quirrell's spell, and Snape's." They had reached another door. "All right?" Harry whispered. "Go on." Harry pushed it open.**

Snape wondered what his task was and hoped that the children could solve it.

**A disgusting smell filled their nostrils, ****making both of them pull their robes up over their noses. Eyes watering, they saw, flat on the floor in front of them, a troll even larger than the one they had tackled, out cold with a bloody lump on its head.**

The three children and adult's breathed out in relief and Augusta read on.

**"I'm glad we didn't have to fight that one," Harry whispered as they stepped carefully over one of its massive legs. "Come on, I can't breathe." He pulled open the next door, both of them hardly daring to look at what came next - but there was nothing very frightening in here, just a table with seven differently shaped bottles standing on it in a line. "Snape's," said Harry. "What do we have to do?" They stepped over the threshold, and immediately a fire sprang up behind them in the doorway. It wasn't ordinary fire either; it was purple. At the same instant, black flames shot up in the doorway leading onward. They were trapped.**

Nicolas looked at Snape clearly impressed with his task and trap but listened some more to how it goes.

"**Look!" Hermione seized a roll of paper lying next to the bottles. Harry looked over her shoulder to read it:**

_**Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,**_

_**Two of us will help you, which ever you would find,**_

_**One among us seven will let you move ahead,**_

_**Another will transport the drinker back instead,**_

_**Two among our number hold only nettle wine,**_

_**Three of us are killers, waiting bidden in line.**_

_**Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,**_

_**To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:**_

_**First, however slyly the poison tries to hide**_

_**You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;**_

_**Second, different are those who stand at either end,**_

_**But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;**_

_**Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,**_

_**Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;**_

_**Fourth, the second left and the second on the right**_

_**Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight.**_

Snape nodded in acceptance as he could see how difficult for a normal wizard or witch to solve a logical puzzle as he knew that most magical people had not a lot of logic due to laziness and reliability on magic.

**Hermione let out a great sigh and Harry, amazed, saw that she was smiling, the very last thing he felt like doing. "Brilliant," said Hermione. "This isn't magic — it's logic — a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever." "But so will we, won't we?"**

Harry looked sheepish at the cross look he got from Hermione and berated himself for being so stupid in this book.

**"Of course not," said Hermione. "Everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the purple." "But how do we know which to drink?" "Give me a minute." Hermione read the paper several times. Then she walked up and down the line of bottles, muttering to herself and pointing at them. At last, she clapped her hands. "Got it," she said. "The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire — toward the Stone." Harry looked at the tiny bottle. "There's only enough there for one of us," he said. "That's hardly one swallow." They looked at each other. "Which one will get you back through the purple flames?" Hermione pointed at a rounded bottle at the right end of the line.**

Snape was very impressed at Hermione's quick thinking, solving of the puzzle and riddle of the note and gave an embarrassed looking Hermione a nod of approval at the girl's intelligence and wisdom.

"**You drink that," said Harry.**

The adults all groaned and Harry looked sheepish at his action's.

**"No, listen, get back and get Ron. Grab brooms from the flying-key room, they'll get you out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy — go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, we need him. I might be able to hold Snape off for a while, but I'm no match for him, really." "But Harry — what if You-Know-Who's with him?" "Well — I was lucky once, wasn't I?" said Harry, pointing at his scar. "I might get lucky again. "Hermione's lip trembled, and she suddenly dashed at Harry and threw her arms around him.**

Both children blushed heavily from the amused and teasing they were getting but it was short lived by Augusta who cleared her throat loudly and continued reading while receiving thankful look's from Harry and Hermione.

**"Hermione!" "Harry — you're a great wizard, you know." "I'm not as good as you," said Harry, very embarrassed, as she let go of him. "Me!" said Hermione. "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things — friendship and bravery and — oh Harry —be careful! "**

Harry smiled at Hermione for her support who returned it embarrassingly due to the earlier teasing from her friend and the adult's.

**"You drink first," said Harry. "You are sure which is which, aren't you?" "Positive," said Hermione. She took a long drink from the round bottle at the end, and shuddered.**

Jean looked concerned but kept quite after a reassuring look from Snape who thought of what potion it could be as there were a number of ones that could work in this task.

"**It's not poison?" said Harry anxiously. **"**No — but it's like ice."**

Snape nodded as he remembered the potion that the Granger child had drank which was an old potion that allowed the person's body to be surrounded by a field of cold temperature so it could allow a person to pass through magical fire's but it was very hard to make which is why it was not made or used a lot due to the rareness of ingredient's needed to make it.

**"Quick, go, before it wears off." "Good luck — take care." "GO!" Hermione turned and walked straight through the purple fire. Harry took a deep breath and picked up the smallest bottle. He turned to face the black flames. "Here I come," he said, and he drained the little bottle in one gulp. It was indeed as though ice was flooding his body. He put the bottle down and walked forward; he braced himself, saw the black flames licking his body, but couldn't feel them — for a moment he could see nothing but dark fire — then he was on the other side, in the last chamber.**

Everyone was very tense at this as they hoped that it would be okay for Harry who was also bracing himself for what was to come.

**There was already someone there — but it wasn't Snape.**

Said man sighed in total relief of him not being blamed anymore and listened more to the tale.

**It wasn't even Voldemort.**

Everyone looked confused apart from Nicolas and Snape who's suspicion's were being confirmed.

Neville spoke to his grandmother "Can I read next" Augusta nodded and handed the book to her grandson who began to read the last chapter of the book with anxiety.

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><p>That's it for the now but watch out next week as I will start the next chapter during the middle of the week but may not finish it until a week or so after I start it as I did have some writer's block half-way through making this chapter. Please review heavily as I enjoy reading them and your compliments<p>

Until then ggbgbgbgbgbggb... that's all folk's. (Porky pig from Looney tunes, don't know it that is correct but send a review to help me correct it.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19 of Flamels and the Stone

Disclaimer: I do not own anything or anyone.

FYI: I am sorry for the delay as I was having a busy weekend with my room being redecorated and remodelled so I was too busy to start this chapter as soon as I wanted but now I have some free time as it has been finished (My room that is) and I am ready to start this chapter. Let's read.

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><p>Neville read out the chapter title with a little fear but also confusion "<strong>The Man with Two Faces"<strong>.

The rest of the group were muttering a bit in anxiety of the title as it did not sound good to them but they went quiet after a bit and Neville continued reading and was shocked at what he read next.

**It was Quirrell.**

Loud gasp's ran through the group as they find out who the culprit was but Snape and Nicolas look at one another and both think together _"there's more to this than meets the eye" _as they both remember the title of the chapter and how it might play out and so once the rest of the group calmed down from there shock they all listened to the story as Neville continued to read the chapter aloud.

"**You!" gasped Harry. ****Quirrell smiled h**is face wasn't twitching at all.****

David eyes narrowed as he thought furiously _"So it was an act all along so others would never suspect him, but I did have doubts about that with the amount of times the man was mentioned in the previous chapters, like how he was nearby or a part of the dangerousness of the school like that Troll and after the quidditch match"._

**"Me," he said calmly. "I wondered whether I'd be meeting you here, Potter." "But I thought — Snape —" "Severus?" Quirrell laughed, and it wasn't his usual quivering treble, either, but cold and sharp. ******"Yes, Severus does seem the type, doesn't he? So useful to have him swooping around like an overgrown bat.****

Snape growled angrily at the jibe at his appearance and attitude in the book and real life as he only wished to protect his students and the school.

**Next to him, who would suspect p-p-poor, st-stuttering P-Professor Quirrell?" Harry couldn't take it in. This couldn't be true, it couldn't. "But Snape tried to kill me!" "No, no, no. I tried to kill you. ****Your friend Miss Granger accidentally knocked me over as she rushed to set fire to Snape at that Quidditch match. She broke my eye contact with you. Another few seconds and I'd have got you off that broom. I'd have managed it before then if Snape hadn't been muttering a ****counter-curse****, trying to save you."**

Hermione's parents and the adults growled at this for what the now known culprit had tried to actually do to Harry while the boy in question said to Snape "thank you professor for helping me" the man nodded in return basically saying that he was welcome to do it while both Flamels gave gratified looks to Snape who bowed his head in return.

**"Snape was trying to save me?" "Of course," said Quirrell coolly. "Why do you think he wanted to referee your next match? He was trying to make sure I didn't do it again. Funny, really… he needn't have bothered. I couldn't do anything with Dumbledore watching. All the other teachers thought Snape was trying to stop Gryffindor from winning, he did make himself unpopular…and what a waste of time, when after all that, I'm going to kill you tonight."**

"No he will not," growled both Flamel's as the each held onto Harry's shoulder in protection and reminding them that he is still alive.

**Quirrell snapped his fingers. Ropes sprang out of thin air and wrapped themselves tightly around Harry.**

Snape spoke to the children who looked curious about the spell being used in this chapter "That spell is a capturing spell known as the rope tie hex which binds the opponent in strong ropes but the ropes strength is linked to how strong the witch or wizard's magical strength is and as to why he did not use a wand is because he had used what is known as wandless and wordless magic of which only very strong magical beings can control and use like myself and some powerful people like both Nicolas and Perenell and the headmaster and some of the other staff at school but you will not be taught this until your sixth or seventh year of Hogwarts" both children nodded in thanks for their answer especially Hermione as she looked fascinated by this type of power but the children snapped out of their amazement and continued to listen about the chapter as Neville continued reading.

"**You're too nosy to live, Potter. Scurrying around the school on Halloween like that, for all I knew you'd seen me coming to look at what was guarding the Stone." "**You let the troll in?" **"**Certainly. I have a special gift with trolls — you must have seen what I did to the one in the chamber back there? **Unfortunately, while everyone else was running around looking for it, Snape, who already suspected me, went straight to the third floor to head me off — and not only did my troll fail to beat you to death, that three-headed dog didn't even manage to bite Snape's leg off properly.******

Snape growled at this

**"Now, wait quietly, Potter. I need to examine this interesting mirror."**

Nicolas raised his eyebrows at this and wonders if it the mirror he is thinking about.

**It was only then that Harry realized what was standing behind Quirrell. It was the Mirror of Erised.**

_"The final protection,"_ Hermione thought.

"**This mirror is the key to finding the Stone," Quirrell murmured, tapping his way around the frame. "Trust Dumbledore to come up with something like this… but he's in London… I'll be far away by the time he gets back…" ****All Harry could think of doing was to keep Quirrell talking and stop him from concentrating on the mirror.**

Snape nodded in approval at the tactic as it did sound good to use in the situation.

**"I saw you and Snape in the forest —" he blurted out."Yes," said Quirrell idly, walking around the mirror to look at the back. "He was on to me by that time, trying to find out how far I'd got. He suspected me all along. Tried to frighten me — as though he could, when I had Lord Voldemort on my side…" Quirrell came back out from behind the mirror and stared hungrily into it. "I see the Stone… I'm presenting it to my master… but where is it?" Harry struggled against the ropes binding him, but they didn't give.**

_"Harry has to trick him into removing them or something,"_ David thought.

**He had to keep Quirrell from giving his whole attention to the mirror. "But Snape always seemed to hate me so much."**

Snape grimaced at this but stayed quiet.

"**Oh, he does," said Quirrell casually, "heavens, yes. He was at Hogwarts with your father, didn't you know? They loathed each other.**

Harry was confused at this and sent Snape a questioning look but Snape shook his head muttering "Later".

**But he never wanted you dead." "But I heard you a few days ago, sobbing — I thought Snape was threatening you…" For the first time, a spasm of fear flitted across Quirrell's face. "Sometimes," he said, "I find it hard to follow my master's instructions — he is a great wizard and I am weak —" "You mean he was there in the classroom with you?" Harry gasped. "He is with me wherever I go," said Quirrell quietly.**

Nicolas and Perenell grew pale at this as they think on the title of the chapter and each hold onto a startled but confused Harry who shrugs and listen's more to the story.

**"I met him when I traveled around the world. A foolish young man I was then, full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil. Lord Voldemort showed me how wrong I was. There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it…**

Nicolas frowned at this as it sounded ridiculous in some parts but the rest sounded plausible and thought about how it would look if you saw it from different perspectives like how a new mundane born child saw how the magical world worked and thought it barbaric in some cases but the same could be said from a magically born child who had lived in the magical world all there life and had to journey into the regular mundane world and saw how it would seem horrible to the child.

**Since then, I have served him faithfully, although I have let him down many times. He has had to be very hard on me." Quirrell shivered suddenly. "He does not forgive mistakes easily. When I failed to steal the stone from Gringotts, he was most displeased. He punished me… decided he would have to keep a closer watch on me…"Quirrell's voice trailed away. Harry was remembering his trip to Diagon Alley — how could he have been so stupid? He'd seen Quirrell there that very day, shaken hands with him in the Leaky Cauldron. Quirrell cursed under his breath. "I don't understand… is the Stone inside the mirror? Should I break it?"**

Perenell shook her head as she knew that the stone would be trapped and lost inside the mirror side of the reflective item if it was broken or shattered.

**Harry's mind was racing.**

**What I want more than anything else in the world at the moment, he thought, is to find the Stone before Quirrell does. So if I look in the mirror, I should see myself finding it — which means I'll see where it's hidden! But how can I look without Quirrell realizing what I'm up to?**

"Interesting…" Nicolas pondered as he continued listening to Neville continue the chapter.

**He tried to edge to the left, to get in front of the glass without Quirrell noticing, but the ropes around his ankles were too tight: he tripped and fell over. Quirrell ignored him. He was still talking to himself. **"**What does this mirror do? How does it work? Help me, Master!" ****And to Harry's horror, a voice answered, and the voice seemed to come from Quirrell himself. **"**Use the boy… Use the boy…"**

Everyone was tense and scared at this point but Neville took a deep breath and continued reading.

**Quirrell rounded on Harry. **"**Yes — Potter — come here." ****He clapped his hands once, and the ropes binding Harry fell off. Harry got slowly to his feet. **"**Come here," Quirrell repeated. "Look in the mirror and tell me what you see." ****Harry walked toward him. ****I must lie, **he thought desperately. I must look and lie about what I see, that's all.****

David looked thoughtful on how that may go but he felt that it would not work properly.

**Quirrell moved close behind him. Harry breathed in the funny smell that seemed to come from Quirrell's turban.**

Nicolas eyes narrowed further at this as he can guess why it is smelling like that.

**He closed his eyes, stepped in front of the mirror, and opened them again. ****He saw his reflection, pale and scared-looking at first. But a moment later, the reflection smiled at him. It put its hand into its pocket and pulled out a blood-red stone. It winked and put the Stone back in its pocket — and as it did so, Harry felt something heavy drop into his real pocket. Somehow — incredibly —he'd gotten the Stone.**

Nicolas looked puzzled for a moment but his eyes widened at his answer as he solved how Harry had gotten the stone but kept quiet as the group continued to hear the rest of the chapter.

"**Well?" said Quirrell impatiently. "What do you see?"**

**Harry screwed up his courage.**

"**I see myself shaking hands with Dumbledore," he invented. "I — I've won the house cup for Gryffindor."**

"Convincing lie but it may not work" Snape said to Harry who nodded in acceptance but still listened to the chapter.

**Quirrell cursed again. "Get out of the way," he said. As Harry moved aside, he felt the Philosopher's Stone against his leg. Dare he make a break for it? But he hadn't walked five paces before a high voice spoke, though Quirrell wasn't moving his lips. "He lies… He lies…"**

Snape nodded and looked at Harry who agree's on what Snape is meaning.

**"Potter, come back here!" Quirrell shouted. "Tell me the truth! What did you just see?" The high voice spoke again. "Let me speak to him… face-to-face…" "Master, you are not strong enough!" "I have strength enough… for this…" Harry felt as if Devil's Snare was rooting him to the spot. He couldn't move a muscle. Petrified, he watched as Quirrell reached up and began to unwrap his turban. What was going on? The turban fell away. Quirrell's head looked strangely small without it. Then he turned slowly on the spot. Harry would have screamed, but he couldn't make a sound. Where there should have been a back to Quirrell's head, there was a face, the most terrible face Harry had ever seen. It was chalk white with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake.**

Augusta's eye's nearly bugged out at this in shock as did the other's who were in different degree's of shock and disgust at the description of Voldemort but they calmed down after a few minutes as Neville, still nervous continued reading.

"**Harry Potter…" it whispered. Harry tried to take a step backward but his legs wouldn't move. "See what I have become?" the face said. "Mere shadow and vapor… I have form only when I can share another's body… but there have always been those willing to let me into their hearts and minds…**

"Those crazy with evil power," muttered Nicolas.

**Unicorn blood has strengthened me, these past weeks… you saw faithful Quirrell drinking it for me in the forest… and once I have the Elixir of Life, I will be able to create a body of my own… Now… why don't you give me that Stone in your pocket?"**

Harry had a determined look on his face at this as he hopes that his book-self is as determined as he is in not giving the stone to Quirrell.

**So he knew. The feeling suddenly surged back into Harry's legs. He stumbled backward.**

"**Don't be a fool," snarled the face. "Better save your own life and join me…or you'll meet the same end as your parents… They died begging me for mercy…"**

"They would not," shouted most of the adults especially Perenell and Snape as they remember their times with them like Snape with Lily and Perenell when she met James as a baby and when he was growing up when visiting Charlus Potter (James's father) one of her friend's and best known acquaintances.

"**LIAR!" Harry shouted suddenly. ****Quirrell was walking backward at him, so that Voldemort could still see him. The evil face was now smiling.**

_"That is not good."_ Snape thinks.

"**How touching…" it hissed. "I always value bravery… Yes, boy, your parents were brave… I killed your father first; and he put up a courageous fight…**

"Of course, he would," Perenell sniffed slightly as she speaks while her husband pats her back comfortingly.

**but your mother needn't have died… she was trying to protect you…****Now give me the Stone, unless you want her to have died in vain."**

_"Lily, oh my sweet Lily-pad" _Snape thinks sadly eyes closed in despair as a single tear slides down his face but he rubs it away from his face and eyes and steel's himself for what is to be read.

**"NEVER!" ****Harry sprang toward the flame door, but Voldemort screamed "SEIZE HIM!" and the next second, Harry felt Quirrell's hand close on his wrist. At once, a needle-sharp pain seared across Harry's scar; his head felt as though it was about to split in two; he yelled, struggling with all his might, and to his surprise, Quirrell let go of him.**

_"What happened"_ was the thoughts on all of the group's mind's

**The pain in his head lessened — he looked around wildly to see where Quirrell had gone, and saw him hunched in pain, looking at his fingers — they were blistering before his eyes.**

Everyone's eyes bulged at this as it was shocking and slightly horrific to imagine.

"**Seize him! SEIZE HIM!" shrieked Voldemort again, and Quirrell lunged, knocking Harry clean off his feet landing on top of him, both hands around Harry's neck —**

"Get off him," shouted both Flamel's as the other group were getting worried for Harry's safety in this book.

**Harry's scar was almost blinding him with pain, yet he could see Quirrell howling in agony. "Master, I cannot hold him — my hands — my hands!" And Quirrell, though pinning Harry to the ground with his knees, let go of his neck and stared, bewildered, at his own palms — Harry could see they looked burned, raw, red, and shiny.**

Snape was curious about this affect from having Harry touch the possessed teacher holding the dark lord's consciousness and soul, at the last thought Snape's eye's widen as he begin's to connect the dots to how Voldemort had survived for so long without proper possession of a host, he thinks to himself "_I need more time to think and maybe this book can help or if there is more books to come then it will be vital that I know what I think is possible" _so with these thoughts done he continues to listen to the chapter.

"**Then kill him, fool, and be done!" screeched Voldemort.**

Nicolas looked to be full of anxiety and hoped that his soon to be nephew will be ok for now and the same was to be said of the others as they all were tense from fear although Snape was trying to hide it.

**Quirrell raised his hand to perform a deadly curse, but Harry, by instinct, reached up and grabbed Quirrell's face — "AAAARGH!" Quirrell rolled off him, his face blistering, too, **and then Harry knew: Quirrell couldn't touch his bare skin, not without suffering terrible pain — his only chance was to keep hold of Quirrell, keep him in enough pain to stop him from doing a curse.****

Harry himself looked at his own hands and hoped that this strange magic would protect him later on in life while Hermione was getting scared and upset at how her new friend was getting harmed and possibly killed in this strange way as was the thoughts and feelings of the others in the group.

**Harry jumped to his feet, caught Quirrell by the arm, and hung on as tight as he could. Quirrell screamed and tried to throw Harry off — the pain in Harry's head was building — he couldn't see — he could only hear Quirrell's terrible shrieks and Voldemort's yells of, "KILL HIM! KILL HIM!" and other voices, maybe in Harry's own head, crying, "Harry! Harry!" ****He felt Quirrell's arm wrenched from his grasp, knew all was lost, and fell into blackness, down… down… down…**Something gold was glinting just above him.****

Everyone was now terrified and both Flamels grabbed Harry again and hugged him tight in hopes that he will be ok in the future of this book.

**The Snitch!**

_"What?"_ was the thoughts of the group minus the Flamel's who were still focussed on the Harry they were still worried about and hugging.

**He tried to catch it, but his arms were too heavy. ****He blinked. It wasn't the Snitch at all. It was a pair of glasses. How strange. ****He blinked again. The smiling face of Albus Dumbledore **swam into view above him.****

"It seems that Hermione managed to alert the headmaster after all," Neville said as he paused in his reading as he himself and the rest of the group all released their bottled up tension with a long sigh of relief as did the Flamels who released Harry a bit who looked relieved for his book-self being safe.

**"Good afternoon, Harry," said Dumbledore. Harry stared at him. Then he remembered: "Sir! The Stone! It was Quirrell! He's got the Stone! Sir, quick —" "Calm yourself, dear boy, you are a little behind the times," said Dumbledore. "Quirrell does not have the Stone." "Then who does? Sir, I —" "Harry, please relax, or Madam Pomfrey will have me thrown out."**

Snape smiled a bit at this as he mentally snickered at the great Albus Dumbledore being thrown out by the school nurse and nearly laughed out loud at the mental image of it in his mind.

**Harry swallowed and looked around him. He realized he must be in the hospital wing. He was lying in a bed with white linen sheets, and next to him was a table piled high with what looked like half the candy shop. "**Tokens from your friends and admirers," said Dumbledore, beaming.****

Harry looked at his friends and said "Thank's guy's" who smiled in return both saying "don't mention it.

****"What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, **so, naturally, the whole school knows.******

Nicolas chuckled at this as he thought on how fast the rumor mill at Hogwarts was as he remembered it when he had attended in his youth.

**I believe your friends Misters Fred and George Weasley were responsible for trying to send you a toilet seat.**

The group laughed at this especially Harry who remembered it being mentioned earlier in the book when his book self was making it to the Hogwarts train station at 9 and three quarters.

**No doubt they thought it would amuse you. Madam Pomfrey, however, felt it might not be very hygienic, and confiscated it." "How long have I been in here?" "Three days. Mr. Ronald Weasley and Miss Granger will be most relieved you have come round, they have been extremely worried."**

Harry smiled at Hermione which she returned with a small smile and a nod.

"**But sir, the Stone —"**

**"I see you are not to be distracted. Very well, the Stone. Professor Quirrell did not manage to take it from you. I arrived in time to prevent that, although you were doing very well on your own, I must say." "You got there? You got Hermione's owl?" "We must have crossed in midair. No sooner had I reached London than it became clear to me that the place I should be was the one I had just left. I arrived just in time to pull Quirrell off you."**

Snape's eyes narrow at this as he can see this was a lie and begin's to ponder on why he is lying like this.

**"It was you." "I feared I might be too late." "You nearly were, I couldn't have kept him off the Stone much longer –" "Not the Stone, boy, you — the effort involved nearly killed you. **For one terrible moment there, I was afraid it had.****

Harry was again hugged tightly by both Flamel's who are now even more panicked and concerned as they listened to this detail of the story not mentioned.

**As for the Stone, it has been destroyed."**

"NOO" Harry wailed in sadness as he thought up the consequences of this action as does the rest of the group who looked to be in despair as they come up with the same thought while both Flamel's try to calm down and console the distraught Harry as Nicolas says "Do not worry Harry remember what I told you earlier that the stone you tried to save may have been a fake that I had created so that I could keep the real one safe" Harry was looking calmer at this but still was scared and upset so Perenell finished for her husband's comforting words "We promised that we would be a family to you and we will not break that promise, do you understand Harry we will never leave you to be alone" Harry looked at both flamels weakly and mumbled quietly "you promise" with tears in his eyes as both Flamels nodded and caught Harry as he launched at his new family and sobbed quietly in Perenell's arm's while Nicolas rubbed the emotionally distraught Harry to a calming level and after a few minute's they sat back together and continued to listen to the story which Neville was now reading again.

**"Destroyed?" said Harry blankly. "But your friend — Nicolas Flamel —" "Oh, you know about Nicolas?" said Dumbledore, sounding quite delighted.**

_"Why does he sound delighted by this" _Nicolas thought suspiciously as he listen's more to the tale.

**"You did do the thing properly, didn't you? Well, Nicolas and I have had a little chat, and agreed it's all for the best." "But that means he and his wife will die, won't they?" "They have enough Elixir stored to set their affairs in order and then, yes, they will die."**

Both flamels gave a reassuring look to Harry who was looking to act up again in despair but called down at the looks he was getting from his future family as he remembers _"they promised me and they said that they would not break it"._

**Dumbledore smiled at the look of amazement on Harry's face. "To one as young as you, I'm sure it seems incredible, but to Nicolas and Perenelle, it really is like going to bed after a very, very long day. After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. You know, the Stone was really not such a wonderful thing. As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all — the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them."**

_"More like confusion and exasperation" _thought Harry as he is puzzled by the sentence made by Dumbledore.

**Harry lay there, lost for words. Dumbledore hummed a little and smiled at the ceiling. "Sir?" said Harry. "I've been thinking… sir — even if the Stone's gone, Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who —"**

Nicolas looked at Harry and said "Choose to say the name and not the cover up as that merely shows that you are afraid of the evil man" Harry nodded in acceptance and appreciation of this lesson and rule.

**"Call him Voldemort, Harry. Always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself."**

Nicolas nodded in agreement although he looked to be doing it reluctantly at having to agree with his now uncertain trusted apprentice.

**"Yes, sir. Well, Voldemort's going to try other ways of coming back, isn't he? I mean, he hasn't gone, has he?"**

Augusta shivered a bit and thought _"I hope not"_

**"No, Harry, he has not. He is still out there somewhere, perhaps looking for another body to share… not being truly alive, he cannot be killed. He left Quirrell to die; he shows just as little mercy to his followers as his enemies.**

Snape looked more resolute that his suspicions are confirmed of how Voldemort may have survived while sadly nodding in agreement with Dumbledore about how much mercy Voldemort gives his followers as he remembers how much pain he had to go through to realize his mistake in joining when he was too young and not wise enough to see it.

**Nevertheless, Harry, while you may only have delayed his return to power, it will merely take someone else who is prepared to fight what seems a losing battle next time — and if he is delayed again, and again, why, he may never return to power." Harry nodded, but stopped quickly, because it made his head hurt. Then he said, "Sir, there are some other things I'd like to know, if you can tell me… things I want to know the truth about…" "The truth." Dumbledore sighed. "It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution. However, I shall answer your questions unless I have a very good reason not to, in which case I beg you'll forgive me. I shall not, of course, lie."**

Snape narrowed his eyes at this and thinks _"he will still hold that information from Harry until his oh high and mighty Dumbledore decides when to say it which if know how it will happen it may be when Harry is at his weakest and scarred" _he finished his thoughts with a scowl and decides to try and get the complete information to Harry and reveal it but much later in the year maybe next year or the year after when Harry can handle it but still not as long as the old man may do so which may be the last second"

"**Well… Voldemort said that he only killed my mother because she tried to stop him from killing me. But why would he want to kill me in the first place?" ****Dumbledore sighed very deeply this time.**

Snape scowled but listened in.

**"Alas, the first thing you ask me, I cannot tell you. Not today. Not now. You will know, one day… put it from your mind for now, Harry. When you are older… I know you hate to hear this… when you are ready, you will know."**

The rest of the group let out sounds of exasperation and frustration at the headmasters antics.

**And Harry knew it would be no good to argue. **"**But why couldn't Quirrell touch me?"**

"That is what I was wondering," said Perenell.

"**Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign… to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever.**

the group minus the confused children looked very annoyed at this as it sounds ridiculous to hear about as they think on what this must mean but calm down when Neville continues the chapter.

**It is in your very skin. Quirrell, full of hatred, greed, and ambition, sharing his soul with Voldemort, could not touch you for this reason. It was agony to touch a person marked by something so good." Dumbledore now became very interested in a bird out on the windowsill, which gave Harry time to dry his eyes on the sheet. When he had found his voice again, Harry said, "And the invisibility cloak — do you know who sent it to me?" "Ah — your father happened to leave it in my possession, **and I thought you might like it."****

_"Really he seemed to have it in his possession for some reason"_ thought Nicolas and Snape.

**Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Useful things… your father used it mainly for sneaking off to the kitchens to steal food when he was here."**

Snape grumbled at this as he thought annoyed _"among other activities"_

**"And there's something else…" "Fire away." "Quirrell said Snape —" "Professor Snape, Harry." "Yes, him — Quirrell said he hates me because he hated my father. Is that true?"**

Snape gave Harry a reassuring look plainly saying_ "I don't hate you"_.

"**Well, they did rather detest each other. Not unlike yourself and Mr. Malfoy. And then, your father did something Snape could never forgive."**

The others leaned in and waited for the answer.

"**What?" **"**He saved his life."**

The group looked confused at this and all looked at Snape who shook his head saying "I am sure that this will be answered if there are any future books showing the years after this book is finished so please do not ask" the others nodded in acceptance of this albeit reluctantly.

"**What?" **"**Yes…" said Dumbledore dreamily. "Funny, the way people's minds work, isn't it? Professor Snape couldn't bear being in your father's debt… I do believe he worked so hard to protect you this year because he felt that would make him and your father even. Then he could go back to hating your father's memory in peace…"**

Snape raised and eyebrow at this and thought _"I would probably deny this if I had not changed my feelings towards Harry then I could continue to antagonize Harry by using my book-self's personality and keep hating Harry for being Potter senior's son and no other reason for doing so"_.

**Harry tried to understand this but it made his head pound, so he stopped.**

The real Harry was just as confused by this as his book-self so he let it be for now and hoped that he understood it all soon.

**"And sir, there's one more thing…" "Just the one?" "How did I get the Stone out of the mirror?" "Ah, now, I'm glad you asked me that. It was one of my more brilliant ideas, and between you and me, that's saying something. You see, only one who wanted to find the Stone — find it, but not use it — would be able to get it, otherwise they'd just see themselves making gold or drinking Elixir of Life.**

_"Ingenious idea" _Nicolas thought to himself.

**My brain surprises even me sometimes… Now, enough questions. I suggest you make a start on these sweets. Ah! Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans! I was unfortunate enough in my youth to come across a vomit flavored one, and since then I'm afraid I've rather lost my liking for them — but I think I'll be safe with a nice toffee, don't you?" ****He smiled and popped the golden-brown bean into his mouth. Then he choked and said, "Alas! Ear wax!"**

The adults chuckled at this unfortunate happening while the children giggled and snickered at the image of the headmasters face when he swallowed the nasty tasted bean.

**Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was a nice woman, but very strict. "Just five minutes," Harry pleaded. "Absolutely not." "You let Professor Dumbledore in…" "Well, of course, that was the headmaster, quite different. You need rest." "I am resting, look, lying down and everything. Oh, go on, Madam Pomfrey…" "Oh, very well," she said. "But five minutes only." And she let Ron and Hermione in.**

Snape looked at Harry amused and said "that was very well done as not a lot of student's or even teachers will stop Poppy from treating her patients and she does not usually let visitors in to her patients in-case of accidents and safety, she must be really fond of you for her to allow that or because of the many times your father had been in the hospital wing due to quidditch injuries it reminded her of how much you were like your father in that way" Harry smiled at the mention of his father and how much he was like him while Snape held back a grimace of talking about Harry's father in a good way as he remembers how much he disliked Harry's father for the pranks he was targeted for by Harry's father and friends but he snapped out of his thoughts by Neville who was still reading the chapter.

**"Harry!" Hermione looked ready to fling her arms around him again, **but Harry was glad she held herself in as his head was still very sore.****

The adults and Neville chuckled at the blushes on the two children's faces but they relented and continued the reading of the chapter.

**"Oh, Harry, we were sure you were going to — Dumbledore was so worried —" "The whole school's talking about it," said Ron. "What really happened?" It was one of those rare occasions when the true story is even more strange and exciting than the wild rumors. Harry told them everything: Quirrell; the mirror; the Stone; and Voldemort. Ron and Hermione were a very good audience; they gasped in all the right places, and when Harry told them what was under Quirrell's turban, Hermione screamed out loud.**

Hermione looked annoyed at this as as she usually did not act so dramatic except when she is nervous or scared but relented her thoughts and promised to not get so overreacted as she knew now how Quirrell actually looked beneath his turban and while it was hideous and scary to think about she knew that it was not so horrifying to act like she did in the book.

**"**So the Stone's gone?" said Ron finally. "Flamel's just going to die?"****

Harry looked to be on the nerve of being upset again but was reassured by both Flamels who whispered consoling words in his ear and Harry calmed down enough to listen again to the story's last chapter some more.

"**That's what I said, but Dumbledore thinks that — what was it? — 'to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.'" **"**I always said he was off his rocker," **said Ron, looking quite impressed at how crazy his hero**** **was.**

The group chuckled at this as they knew that the headmaster was very eccentric in many regards that deemed him crazy by others.

**"So what happened to you two?" said Harry. "Well, I got back all right," said Hermione. "I brought Ron round — that took a while — and we were dashing up to the owlery to contact Dumbledore when we met him in the entrance hall — he already knew — he just said, 'Harry's gone after him, hasn't he?' and hurtled off to the third floor." "D'you think he meant you to do it?" said Ron. "Sending you your father's cloak and everything?"**

The adults growled at this as they all thought _"He better have not"_.

"**Well, " Hermione exploded, "if he did — I mean to say that's terrible — you could have been killed."**

Hermione nodded in agreement with her book-self as she knew that it was dangerous to go after the stone and everything but hoped that the headmaster did not plan all of this.

**"**No, it isn't," said Harry thoughtfully. "He's a funny man, Dumbledore. I think he sort of wanted to give me a chance. I think he knows more or less everything that goes on here, you know. I reckon he had a pretty good idea we were going to try, and instead of stopping us, he just taught us enough to help. I don't think it was an accident he let me find out how the mirror worked. It's almost like he thought I had the right to face Voldemort if I could…"****

The group looked thoughtful on this as did Snape who was growling in his mind _"Oh, it is Harry's destiny but this is no way to test him for it you stupid old man"_.

"**Yeah, Dumbledore's off his rocker, all right," said Ron proudly. "Listen, you've got to be up for the end-of-year feast tomorrow. The points are all in and Slytherin won,**

Snape felt a little proud at this but the next sentence stopped that.

**of course — you missed the last Quidditch match,**

Snape looked sadly at Harry as he knew how happy Harry in the book would have been if they had won and promised to help Harry in any way he could so Harry could live a happy and full life.

**we were steamrollered by Ravenclaw **without you — but the food'll be good."****

The adults who have been to Hogwarts sighed in agreement as they each knew how well the food at the great hall tasted.

**At that moment, Madam Pomfrey bustled over. "You've had nearly fifteen minutes, now OUT" she said firmly. After a good night's sleep, Harry felt nearly back to normal. "I want to go to the feast," he told Madam Pomfrey as she straightened his many candy boxes. "I can, can't I?" "Professor Dumbledore says you are to be allowed to go," she said stiffly, as though in her opinion Professor Dumbledore didn't realize how risky feasts could be.**

Snape looked amused at the actions of the school nurse.

** "And you have another visitor." "Oh, good," said Harry. "Who is it?" Hagrid **sidled through the door as he spoke. As usual when he was indoors, Hagrid looked too big to be allowed. He sat down next to Harry, took one look at him, and burst into tears.****

Harry looked sad at how upset Hagrid was over his mistakes that the large man made over the book but Harry still continued to listen in.

"**It's — all — my — ruddy — fault!"**

"No, it is not," Augusta said angrily as she continued "He was tricked into doing all of those things."

******he sobbed, his face in his hands. "I told the evil git how ter get past Fluffy! I told him! It was the only thing he didn't know, an' I told him! Yeh could've died! All fer a dragon egg! I'll never drink again! I should be chucked out an' made ter live as a Muggle!"******

Snape looked faintly amused at this but hid it well as he imagined Hagrid living as a non magical person which he snorted internally at the image it presented.

**"Hagrid!" said Harry, shocked to see Hagrid shaking with grief and remorse, great tears leaking down into his beard. "Hagrid, he'd have found out somehow, this is Voldemort we're talking about, he'd have found out even if you hadn't told him." "Yeh could've died!" sobbed Hagrid. "An' don' say the name!" "VOLDEMORT!" Harry bellowed, and Hagrid was so shocked, he stopped crying.**

The group looked happy that Harry had stopped Hagrid from being even more upset and listened more to the chapter.

**"I've met him and I'm calling him by his name. Please cheer up, Hagrid, we saved the Stone, it's gone, he can't use it. Have a Chocolate Frog, I've got loads…" Hagrid wiped his nose on the back of his hand and said, "That reminds me. I've got yeh a present." "It's not a stoat sandwich, is it?" said Harry anxiously,**

Harry and the group chucked a bit at this but still they listened to the gift being given to book Harry.

**and at last Hagrid gave a weak chuckle. **"**Nah. Dumbledore gave me the day off yesterday ter fix it '****course, he shoulda sacked me instead — anyway, got yeh this…" ****It seemed to be a handsome, leather-covered book. Harry opened it curiously. It was full of wizard photographs. Smiling and waving at him from every page were his mother and father.**

Harry was smiling so widely it shone on his face and he had tears in his eyes at this while he promised himself to get Hagrid a gift for this wonderful present as he was hugged by his new family in joy for how he had gotten what he always wanted, photos of his birth parents. While Snape and the others smiled a bit and Snape hoped that his book self had given any photos for the album and if not then he would make copies and give them to Harry soon. Harry calmed down a bit but he still felt warm and happy at the moment, but he still listened to the chapters tale.

"**Sent owls off ter all yer parents' old school friends,**

Harry wondered where they were but said to himself to find out later.

**askin' fer photos… knew yeh didn' have any… d'yeh like it?" ****Harry couldn't speak, but Hagrid understood. ****Harry made his way down to the end-of-year feast alone that night. He had been held up by Madam Pomfrey's fussing about, insisting on giving him one last checkup, so the Great Hall was already full. It was decked out in the Slytherin colors of green and silver to celebrate Slytherin's winning the house cup for the seventh year in a row.** **A huge banner showing the Slytherin serpent covered the wall behind the High Harry walked in there was a sudden hush, and then everybody started talking loudly at once. He slipped into a seat between Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table and tried to ignore the fact that people were standing up to look at him. ****Fortunately, Dumbledore arrived moments later. The babble died away. **"**Another year gone!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were… you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts…**

The group chuckled at the joke but continued listening in.

"**Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two." **A storm of cheering and stamping broke out from the Slytherin table. Harry could see Draco Malfoy banging his goblet on the table. It was a sickening sight.****

Snape said to himself _" I really need to talk to Draco when he gets to school about his petty ungraceful actions"_.

"**Yes, Yes, well done, Slytherin," said Dumbledore. "However, recent events must be taken into account."****The room went very still. The Slytherins' smiles faded a little.**

Snape groaned inwardly at this as he knew that this would end badly next year if this actually happened as it would make the antagonism between the two houses worse in the coming year and wondered why the old man had done this if this was going to backfire for the relations between the two houses (_A/N: you know which houses I mean_).

"**Ahem," said Dumbledore. "I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes…**

"**First — to Mr. Ronald Weasley…" **Ron went purple in the face; he looked like a radish with a bad sunburn.****

David was very amused at this but hid it well.

"… **for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house fifty points.**

Snape groaned again and thought _"This may end badly I know_ it".

**Gryffindor cheers nearly raised the bewitched ceiling; the stars overhead seemed to quiver. Percy could be heard telling the other prefects, "My brother, you know! My youngest brother! Got past McGonagall's giant chess set!" ****At last there was silence again. **"**Second — to Miss Hermione Granger… for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."**

"GO Hermione" cheered both Neville and Harry along with Hermione's parents while the others smiled at the achievement.

**Hermione buried her face in her arms; Harry strongly suspected she had burst into tears.**

Hermione blushed at this but the others did not tease her for it while Hermione slapped Harry in the arm for the thought who pouted at the hit but you could see he was not upset by the merry look in his eye.

**Gryffindors up and down the table were beside themselves — they were a hundred points up. **"**Third — to Mr. Harry Potter…" said Dumbledore. The room went deadly quiet. "… for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."**

Hermione looked to have come up with the number of points that Gryffindor had not gotten and looked excited by it but kept quiet.

**The din was deafening. Those who could add up while yelling themselves hoarse knew that Gryffindor now had four hundred and seventy-two points — exactly the same as Slytherin. They had tied for the house cup — if only Dumbledore had given Harry just one more point. ****Dumbledore raised his hand. The room gradually fell silent. **"**There are all kinds of courage," said Dumbledore, smiling. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom."**

"YES" both Harry and Hermione cheered for their shocked friend who was limply holding the book in wonder of his future-self's achievement while Augusta looked proud at her grandson for helping his house win the house cup.

**Someone standing outside the Great Hall might well have thought some sort of explosion had taken place, so loud was the noise that erupted from the Gryffindor table. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood up to yell and cheer as Neville, white with shock, disappeared under a pile of people hugging him. He had never won so much as a point for Gryffindor before. Harry, still cheering, nudged Ron in the ribs and pointed at Malfoy, who couldn't have looked more stunned and horrified if he'd just had the Body-Bind Curse put on him. **"**Which means," Dumbledore called over the storm of applause, for even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were celebrating the downfall of Slytherin, "we need a little change of decoration." ****He clapped his hands. In an instant, the green hangings became scarlet and the silver became gold; the huge Slytherin serpent vanished and a towering Gryffindor lion took its place. Snape was shaking Professor McGonagall's hand, with a horrible, forced smile.**

Snape grimaced at this as he doubted his book-self was very pleased with the results of the house cup.

****He caught Harry's eye and Harry knew at once that Snape's feelings toward him hadn't changed one jot. ****

Snape thought to himself _" It has now"_.

**This didn't worry Harry. It seemed as though life would be back to normal next year, or as normal as it ever was at Hogwarts. ****It was the best evening of Harry's life, better than winning at Quidditch, **or Christmas, or knocking out mountain trolls… he would never, ever forget tonight.****

Harry looked very happy with this and promised to not forget this moment.

**Harry had almost forgotten that the exam results were still to come, but come they did. To their great surprise, both he and Ron passed with good marks; **Hermione, of course, had the best grades of the first years.****

Hermione blushed at the praises made by her parents and friends along with the adults.

**Even Neville scraped through, his good Herbology mark making up for his abysmal Potions one. They had hoped that Goyle, who was almost as stupid as he was mean, might be thrown out, but he had passed, too. It was a shame, but as Ron said, you couldn't have everything in life.**

Both young boys laughed a bit at this.

******And suddenly, their wardrobes were empty, their trunks were packed, Neville's toad was found lurking in a corner of the toilets;******

_"Oh, Trevor"_ Neville thought fondly.

**notes were handed out to all students, warning them not to use magic over the holidays ("I always hope they'll forget to give us these," said Fred Weasley sadly); Hagrid was there to take them down to the fleet of boats that sailed across the lake; they were boarding the Hogwarts Express; talking and laughing as the countryside became greener and tidier; eating Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans as they sped past Muggle towns; pulling off their wizard robes and putting on jackets and coats; pulling into platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross Station. ****It took quite a while for them all to get off the platform. A wizened old guard was up by the ticket barrier, letting them go through the gate in twos and threes so they didn't attract attention by all bursting out of a solid wall at once and alarming the Muggles. **"**You must come and stay this summer," said Ron, "both of you — I'll send you an owl." **"**Thanks," said Harry, "I'll need something to look forward to." People jostled them as they moved forward toward the gateway back to the Muggle world. Some of them called: **"**Bye, Harry!" **"**See you, Potter!" **"**Still famous," said Ron, grinning at him.**

"**Not where I'm going, I promise you," said Harry.**

The adults growled at the thought of the Dursley's

**He, Ron, and Hermione passed through the gateway together. "There he is, Mum, there he is, look!" ****It was Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister, but she wasn't pointing at Ron. **"**Harry Potter!" she squealed. "Look, Mum! I can see —"**

Harry shook his head and hoped that the young girl would grow out of her phase soon.

"**Be quiet, Ginny, and it's rude to point." ****Mrs. Weasley smiled down at them. **"**Busy year?" she said. **"**Very," said Harry.**

_"That is an understatement" _thought Harry.

**"Thanks for the fudge and the sweater, Mrs. Weasley." "Oh, it was nothing, dear." "Ready, are you?" It was Uncle Vernon, still purple-faced, still mustached, still looking furious at the nerve of Harry, carrying an owl in a cage in a station full of ordinary people.**

Snape and the adults growled at this and hoped to be able to go to these horrible people and teach them a lesson.

**Behind him stood Aunt Petunia and Dudley, looking terrified at the very sight of Harry. **"**You must be Harry's family!" said Mrs. Weasley.**

Harry thought angrily _"they are not my family anymore" _and as he thought this a strange feeling surrounded Harry and many miles away in a street full of houses one house seemed to flash pink and red for a moment then it dissipated in an instant and the strange feeling in Harry disappeared leaving a confused Harry wondering what that was but shrugged it off and continued to listen to the chapter.

"**In a manner of speaking," said Uncle Vernon. "Hurry up, boy, we haven't got all day." He walked away. ****Harry hung back for a last word with Ron and Hermione. **"**See you over the summer, then." **"**Hope you have — er — a good holiday," said Hermione, looking uncertainly after Uncle Vernon, shocked that anyone could be so unpleasant.**

_"Not anymore"_ thought Hermione.

"**Oh, I will," said Harry, and they were surprised at the grin that was spreading over his face. "They don't know we're not allowed to use magic at home. I'm going to have a lot of fun with Dudley this summer…"**

The whole group laughed merrily at this as they all could imagine the faces of the Dursley's at having being tormented by Harry saying made up words to scare the three Dursley's. Neville closed the book with a snap and said "well that's, that then the book's done".

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><p>That was exhausting (wipes forehead in relief) but I still have one small chapter to go then it is finished but I thank you to all of the readers and other authors who have reviewed about this fic and I am happy that this fic is so popular at the moment and I am glad it is as I have enjoyed making it my own work of art so to speak.<p>

_**PLEASE REVIEW FOR ME AND TELL ME HOW YOU LIKE IT SO FAR.**_

**_SEE YOU LATER READERS, AM OUTTA HERE._**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of Flamels and the Stone

Disclaimer: I do not own anything or anyone.

FYI: This is the last chapter of this fic and it will detail the reactions and responses of the characters that have finished reading the first book. This chapter will show the characters returning to their normal lives but with the knowledge of what they have learned. This chapter will be very short so for those who were looking for a long chapter well sorry about that (shrugs).

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><p><strong><em>Previous<em>**_** chapter: **__**"**Neville closed the book with a snap and said "well that's, that then the book's done".**"**_

As soon as Neville finished speaking his sentence the book flashed brightly then disappeared and in its place was a piece of parchment which had something written down on it. Nicolas walked over and took the piece of parchment and read it out loud to the group who all listened in:

_Hello Magical and Non-Magical people,_

_This letter is to remind you that the time stasis will finish soon and I have to tell you that for those who were transported to The Flamel Home will be transported in soon to where you were previously before your were sent to read the books along with everyone else and be returned to what you were doing at that exact moment you were transported, that is everyone except you Harry as I know that you need to stay with Perenell and Nicolas for their own plans to work at having you become a member of their family._

_You can return to your home/residence by saying "There's no place like Home"__ but you must be ready to say it WHEN YOU ARE READY TO GO._

_Also you will all remember what has happened here and what has been read in the book but you will be not allowed to discuss it or tell anyone who does not know of what has happened during your stay here except if it is needed in a dire situation or you are in trouble but you can discuss it with the people who know of what has happened so far namely yourselves and if you do try to speak about what has occurred in the book to anyone else who should not know of it then you will be forced by your own magic to not tell the person about it and trust me you do not want that as it will hurt badly it you do so. This is for your protection and safety of your future._

_Signed by 'Magical'_

The group were a little miffed at some of what was said in the letter but they let it slide as they could see the reason behind keeping it all secret and safe. Meanwhile while Hermione and her parents were chuckling a bit at the Wizard of OZ joke by the writer of the letter, the Longbottom's were discussing how the group could communicate to each other as they knew that the non magical people in the room were unable to do so with the Magical people through owls or Floo yet, Perenell was talking to Harry about how they would go about getting Harry adopted to be their charge and where they needed to go to do so and Snape was discussing with Nicolas how Snape could help Harry throughout the school year while protecting and helping Harry and watching Albus for suspicious activity as they both knew that they could not exactly trial or get the headmaster into trouble for what had been revealed in the book due to what had been said in the letter and in the end they both decided to wait and collect evidence during Harry's actual first year until they could catch Dumbledore for his suspicious actions.

The groups who were leaving soon were all getting ready to do so but Neville asked a question to everyone that he had been wondering about "How will we all be able to talk to one another without traveling by magic or Owl post as I know that all us will want to talk to one another without interference in some way?".

The rest of the group paused as they thought of how to do so until both Flamel's looked at each other and had a conversation to one another over their bond _"How can we do it Nelly, how?" _thought Nicolas to his wife as she replied back _"We could use the book/journal linker's to communicate as it is untraceable and safe to use even for non magical's"_ Nicolas looked at his wife in surprise and thought back _"That is a good idea Nelly we could use them and they are easy to make and replace"_.

Nicolas spoke out to the confused group who were all waiting for an answer "We could use some devices that I and my wife had created some time ago when we were vacationing in America and got separated by an accident which is by magical messaging books" seeing the still confused faces he elaborated "It is really quite simple as you take an ordinary blank book and change it magically to be able to communicate with the other person who's book is magically linked also to the first person's book and you can do it with many different people but you must write down at the head of the page who you are writing to and this will then link your book to the recipients own book and they can write back afterwards but you must have your name signed and written on the book's cover so as to separate one person's book from the other one's".

The group were very interested in this and amazed by the idea of these types of books and asked all how fast they could be made and finished to which Perenell replied "It can be done in a few minutes and is very easy to do" so with a wave of her wand she summoned the blank books that shot into the room and settled on the desk in the middle of the room where Nicolas began working on them but the others could already see two book already laid out which had both Flamel's name's on the cover in gold writing on a small pad attached to the cover and their books where in a blue binding cover which the rest of the group guessed was so that the books to be linked to the other new books which were being charmed and spelled in minute's but the others noticed that the books had different colours which they guessed was so that they could tell the book's apart but the books were separated into piles by their colour which Perenell told them was for a different person as she said the green books were for the Longbottom's, the red book's were for the Granger's and the Purple book was for Snape while the last book was for Harry who's own one was dark blue unlike the Flamel's books which was light blue in colour.

Once the book's were finished the group grabbed a pen from the table and wrote their name on the cover which after they signed it which spelled out their name in gold writing and then flashed slightly then settled which Perenell told them that the book's now recognized the owner of the book that was signed.

When the group tried them out as instructed by simply writing in a greeting to each other they all saw that is worked very well and all of them were glad that they could now communicate with each other.

Once everyone had settled and were ready to say goodbye to each other they all gave each other a shake of hand's or a hug goodbye while the three children promised to write to one another every day until they could see each other at Hogwarts or on the train later in the month.

With many goodbye's to each other the separate groups bar Harry and the Flamel's all said their activation phrase and each left in a flash of white light leaving three now happy people who were soon to become family. Perenell looked at Harry and said "Well we had better get the guardianship sorted out now so let's go and do so" Nicolas nodded in agreement and held Harry's shoulder where the three people walked to the fireplace which after it was magically lit for transport they each made their way through but before the three left Harry had a last thought before stepping through _"I am glad that this has happened and I look forward to what comes my way now that I have Family and friends to help and guide me"._

**End of The Flamel's and the ****Stone.**

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><p>Hooray It is finished and complete.<p>

**Please Read and Review** and the next fic after this one in the Flamel series will focus on Harry's new life with them and how the real Harry's first year will be, will it be similar or completely different I do not know yet but I promise that it will be great. After that fic I will have the second book be read which will be titled "The Flamel's and the Chamber".

See you later.


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